Thanks + Wednesday Night Market

From our market manager...

Peachtree Road Farmers Market is a special place

. Since its founding in 2007, we have become the state's largest producer-only farmers market, which means all items are sold by the farmer/maker with no reselling. The early leadership saw that Atlanta demanded farm-fresh produce, meats, and dairy, and the community supported their idea with open arms and shopping baskets!

The Market continues

eight years later

as a nonprofit organization housed at The Cathedral of St. Philip. Our farmers and vendors bring the best produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, pasta, prepared foods, and artisan goods from around Georgia to market Saturday mornings rain or shine. The relationship between the vendors and chefs and shoppers creates a sense of community that brings people together to laugh, share, and enjoy each other. We've seen couples come to the market on their first date, taken engagement photos here, and now their children race through the market to greet their farmer friends.

As our 9th season comes to a close, we are so grateful for another successful season. The market would not be possible without support from our sponsors,

Country Financial

,

Piedmont Healthcare

,

Wholesome Wave Georgia

,

Whole Foods Buckhead

, and

Beautiful Briny Sea

. We are grateful to our host, The Cathedral of St. Philip, our team of 29 volunteers, our farmers, vendors, and artisans. Most importantly, it is our shoppers who support the market in sun, rain, cold, and blistering heat. Without your commitment to the market and to buying local, none of this would be possible.

This year we have grown our outreach and programs thanks to your support. Please take a look at our

2015 Annual Report

for more details. We wish you a wonderful winter season and look forward to seeing you at our

Saturday Market from April 2-Dec 17, 2016,

and our new

Wednesday Evening Market from 

April 13-Oct 26, 2016

(see details below)

.

Sincerely,

Lauren Carey

Executive Director

Wednesday Night Market this spring!

Take a break from cooking and enjoy a locally sourced meal for you and your family at our new addition, the

Wednesday Evening Market!

On the run? "Grab & go" dinners will be available, too! You'll find familiar Market vendors and a few new ones serving up delicious whole meals, farm-fresh eggs, meats, and produce available for your midweek needs. 

April 13 through October 26

from

4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

See you on Wednesdays next spring!

Words of Thanks from Manager Lauren Carey

Hard to believe that our 8th season is ending. At this time of the year, we are so grateful for all the gifts 2014 has brought us. A few words of thanks...

First and foremost, thanks to our amazing shoppers! We've watched your families grow, adding new members (on two legs & four) and sending those we knew as children off to college. You shop with us in all weather and make local food part of your family values. The Market cannot happen without your support. We appreciate being a delicious part of your weekly routine, and we can't wait to see you on opening day, April 11, 2015.

I'm thrilled that we have been able to continue to serve a broader community this year through both our Wholesome Wave Georgia SNAP program and our new partnership with Meals on Wheels. Wholesome Wave allows us to double food stamp benefits at the Market, making fresh local foods more accessible. Our partnership with Meals on Wheels has been the perfect circle of giving. Amazing chefs like Thomas McKeown at The Grand Hyatt Buckhead, Jenn Robbins of Avalon Catering, and Nick Leahy of Saltyard did Chef Popups to raise funds for Meals on Wheels to buy veggies remaining at the end of Market. These purchases provide seniors with additional fresh vegetable servings.

The Market could not happen without the incredible hospitality of The Cathedral of St. Philip. While the Market is self-sustaining, the Cathedral offers a home to us indoors and out during the week and on Saturdays. The values of grace, hospitality and excellence are inherent in all we do. As Dean Sam Candler always says "we don't need a big Sunday coffee hour. We have one each Saturday!"

Our generous sponsor Country Financial has done so much more than provide a donation to the Market. They have become a part of our community through the high school bag contest, support of our Sunday Supper, and as a regular part of our Market. Whole Foods Market Buckhead has supported us for years by supplying staples for the chef demos unavailable at the Market as well as drinks at our information tent.

Huge thanks to all our chef demo chefs, who not only teach us how to cook each week, but support the farmers at their restaurants. I especially want to thank two chefs, who have personally and professionally gone above and beyond for the Market this year: Chef Thomas McKeown of The Grand Hyatt Buckhead and Chef Jenn Robbins of Avalon Catering. They've served at the Sunday Supper, done Chef Popups, served our vendor appreciation breakfast, and most of all bought out the occasional bumper crops from our farmers. Our gratitude to these chefs is measured in grit bowls served and veggies bought.

Your Market is special and unique because of the committed farmers, growers, food creators and artists that come rain or shine each week. All these incredible and talented small business owners fill our plates not just with food but with love. 

 
Appreciation goes to our volunteers that make the market shine. The weekly newsletter, blog, website, chef demo sound/videos and food assistance, tent and table setup, receipt-taking, garbage cleanup, and the friendly information tent services are all compliments of an incredible team that volunteers an estimated 100 hours a week. Bo, Sara, and I are so lucky to serve not just the vendors, but you our shoppers and the local food community!

I hope you count the Market among the things for which you are grateful as well. Please consider PRFM in your year-end giving. Donations can be made securely online through the Cathedral's website at https://stphilipscathedral.securegive.com. You need to create a quick account, select Donations, and then choose Farmers Market.

Eat local,
Your Market Manager
Lauren Carey

PRFM + Meals On Wheels

Peachtree Road Farmers Market and Meals On Wheels Atlanta Collaborate:

Farm to Table for Seniors in Need

Meals On Wheels Atlanta and the Peachtree Road Farmers Market at The Cathedral of St. Philip are partnering to provide the freshest locally grown vegetables to senior clients of Meals On Wheels Atlanta. At the market on Saturday mornings, Meals On Wheels Atlanta purchases - at a discounted rate - vegetables left at the end of the market to deliver to their senior clients.

Chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard is on the Board of Trustees for Meals On Wheels Atlanta and was instrumental in developing this partnership. “It’s a win-win for everyone. Local farmers are able to reduce waste and Meals On Wheels Atlanta clients benefit from fresh local vegetables,” he said.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market at The Cathedral of St. Philip is open every Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM through December 13, 2014. Peachtree Road Farmers Market is the largest producer-only market in metro Atlanta. The market has created Chef Pop Ups that will benefit the Meals On Wheels Atlanta and Peachtree Road Farmers Market partnership. The Chef Pop Ups feature local chefs preparing a delicious dish for shoppers utilizing market produce. The shoppers can choose to make a donation which will help offset the cost of the vegetables provided to Meals On Wheels Atlanta. Upcoming Chef Pop Ups benefiting the partnership will be on October 11, November 8, November 22 and November 29.

Lauren Carey, Executive Director at Peachtree Road Farmers Market, is responsible for working with the market farmers and providing Meals On Wheels Atlanta with their weekly supply of vegetables. “Our farmers are so excited about this partnership. It really is the perfect relationship. Shoppers enjoy Chef Pop Ups made with market veggies, the money goes back to supporting the farmers who are helping to feed seniors in need,” she said.

In Georgia, one in six seniors does not know when or where their next meal will come from. To combat senior hunger in the Atlanta community, Meals On Wheels Atlanta will deliver more than 130,000 meals this year to local Atlanta seniors in need.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide fresh vegetables from local farmers to our senior clients. This partnership shows how Atlanta’s nonprofits can team up to do what’s best for the seniors in our community,” said Jeff Smythe, Executive Director for Meals On Wheels Atlanta.

To make a donation to support this partnership, please visit www.mealsonwheelsatlanta.org.

About Meals On Wheels Atlanta
Founded in 1965, Meals On Wheels Atlanta is a nonprofit organization that supports senior independence through meals, shelter, education and community. Through extensive programming, Meals On Wheels Atlanta delivers more than 130,000 meals annually, repairs hundreds of senior homes, manages seven neighborhood senior centers, provides community and wellness education, and helps seniors and their families manage Alzheimer's and dementia. Meals On Wheels Atlanta serves approximately 2,400 seniors annually. For more information on how to volunteer or donate to Meals On Wheels Atlanta, please visit www.mealsonwheelsatlanta.org or follow them on Facebook and Twitter or call (404) 351-3889.

About Peachtree Road Farmers Market
The Peachtree Road Farmers Market was founded in 2007 and exists as a program of The Cathedral of St. Philip. Now in its eighth year, Peachtree Road Farmers Market is a leader in the community connecting over 70 farmers and local producers to over 2,500 weekly shoppers. PRFM is the largest producer-only farmers market in the state. Producer-only means that everything at the Market has been grown, raised, or made by the seller, ensuring fair prices for both the vendors and the consumers. The Market takes place on Saturday mornings beginning in April, rain or shine, until mid December. PRFM accepts and doubles SNAP (EBT/food stamp) benefits. For more information please visit our website at www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Photo credit: Sara Craig-Goodell. L-R: Chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard, Asner Jean and Vanessa Ashi with MOWA, Lauren Carey with PRFM, and Farmer Michael Hendricks of Indian Ridge Organic Farm.

A Word of Thanks: Market Manager Lauren Carey

It's been quite a year! Over 5,500 Facebook fans, 2,296 Twitter fans, 70 vendors, 38 wonderful markets, 35 chef demos, 40 amazing volunteers, two Holiday Artist events, hundreds of dogs and one cat, baby goats, pigs, ponies, the Sunday Supper evening, a Halloween parade, and a Market Mash-Up! This season we saw our Wholesome Wave Program double yet again, processing nearly $30,000 in food stamp benefits at the Market.

We have also seen our farmers struggle with major health issues and the worst weather season in years. All along we have been grateful for your continued support. We are also grateful to our sponsors: Country Financial, Whole Foods, Wholesome Wave. Without the support of our sponsors, our chef demos and the food stamp matching program could never happen.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market is a special place because of the smiling faces we see each week—farmers, artists, food producers, volunteers, and most importantly you, our customers. We notice when you aren't in your usual chef demo seat, we are excited to meet your new baby, and we love to make you smile as we fill your shopping bags with delicious local foods.

Thank you so much for supporting the 2013 Peachtree Road Farmers Market! We can't wait to see you on April 5 for opening day 2014 as we launch our 8th season!

Sincerely,
Lauren Carey, Market Manager

A word of thanks

...from Market Manager Lauren Carey

As PRFM completes its 6th season, I'd like to say how much you mean to us.

To our shoppers:
Your farmers market continues to thrive because you show up in the rain, 8 months pregnant, with strollers filled with kids, when it's hot, with your dog, with out of town family, at a chef demo, kids activity or special Friday night Market. We are here each week because you are ready to try a new veggie or share a Swiss chard recipe while waiting to buy bread. Thank you for putting local food on your table each week. Our Saturday community is a place where kids grow up together and neighbors get to know each other. We thank you for supporting local!

To our sponsors:
Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, Captain Planet  Foundation, Ellis Hotel, Whole Foods, Wholesome Wave, Les Dames d'Escoffier Atlanta Chapter, and Southeastern Horticultural Society.  It is through the generosity and community focus of sponsors like you that we help to save the planet, empower people to eat well, teach the next generation, and make local food accessible to all Georgians.

To our vendors:
It has been another wonderful year. We welcomed new friends and sent others on the next step in their journey. You make the market vibrant, seasonal and alive. Thank you for sharing your talents!

To the volunteers:
With grace, hospitality, and always humor you make the market a happy place. With over 2,500 volunteer hours given this season, the Market could never happen without you. We all thank you for giving so much of yourselves week after week and year after year.

Save the date! Opening day 2013: April 6, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.