In the News

Check out Peachtree Road Farmers Market Manager Lauren Carey, featured in this week’s “Field Notes,” a new Atlanta Magazine online column by Deborah Geering. Lauren reminds us why it’s important to know your farmer and gives great tips that you can take to the Market!




- Jennifer Maley

South City Cooking

Saturday’s Chef Demo features Jeffrey Gardner
of South City Kitchen Midtown – 10:00 am on 8/14
Chef Demos are sponsored by Whole Foods Market

It’s not often that a restaurant draws world-renowned customers like Laura Bush, Usher, and Conan O'Brien, to name a diverse few. But, as we know here in the South, fried chicken is a language spoken by all. And we’re lucky to have such talented chefs as South City Kitchen’s Jeffrey Gardner to spell it out for us.

Hailing from Natchez, Mississippi, Gardner first experienced life in a professional kitchen when he signed up to help cater a fundraising lunch for 1,100 people, including one President George W. Bush, at the Mississippi Coliseum. He then began his career by working under Dan Blumenthal of BRAVO! Restaurant and Bar in Jackson, MS, while also earning degrees in business and Spanish from Millsaps College. Gardner ultimately chose to pursue his culinary passion by attending Charlotte’s Johnson & Wales University, earning his degree in culinary arts with a minor in oenology (that’s wine, y’all).

After graduation, Chef Gardner moved to our fair city of Atlanta where he has served as Sous Chef of Fifth Group Restaurants’ South City Kitchen Midtown since 2009. Under the direction of Executive Chef Chip Ulbrich, he uses local and seasonal ingredients to create contemporary Southern cuisine that draws crowds both locally and nationally. And, you never know, a trip to South City might just include a little star gazing on the side.

Join us this Saturday for Chef Gardner’s demo under our cool new tents!




- Jennifer Maley

Good Produce for All

We’ve mentioned before that your Peachtree Road Farmers Market is the largest producer-only market in metro Atlanta. The fact that everything at the Market has been grown, raised, or made by the seller is something we take pride in as a way to honor our vendors and our customers. You won’t find any products that were purchased elsewhere up for resale, ensuring that what you do find are fair prices and fair competition.

If you’re liking what we’re producing, won’t you please share the love and vote us as America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market? We’re currently in the top 20 with a few weeks to go! The contest ends on August 31, so take time now to click us up a notch.

Last week’s release of the Top 20 leader board was in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Farmers Market Week, bringing awareness to the more than 5,000 farmers markets across the country that are supporting local farmers and farmland. Also last week, Georgia Organics noted research that if each household in Georgia spent $10 per week on local produce, more than $1.9 billion would be pumped back into the state's economy. The new study, "The Local Food Impact: What if Georgians Ate Georgia Produce" – conducted by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, funded by Georgia Organics, the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, and other partners – goes on to say that for every 5 percent increase in local produce purchasing, the state would see 345 additional jobs, $43.7 million more in sales, and $13.6 million more in farmer income.

Now’s the time to support awareness of your Market and its impact on your community! At the end of the contest, one large, medium, small, and boutique-sized farmers market will win the title of “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” for 2010. The reward for the winning markets will be a promotional package including free printing and design services, a shipment of No Farms No Food® tote bags, and more to support their role in bringing farmers, food and the community together!

Cast your vote now at Farmland.org/vote


- Jennifer Maley

Now, that’s what we call a Farmers Market

Market shoppers know that supporting local is a good thing. The food is honest, fresh and it comes to us directly from the folks who produce it, the faces you see each Saturday. It’s a good thing for our health and a good thing for our economy, not to mention that it’s a deliciously fun way to spend a weekend morning. Like all good things, Farmers Markets are something to look after, to protect. Check out this article from the Farmers Market Coalition defining what makes a Farmers Market a Farmers Market.

Did you know that your Peachtree Road Farmers Market has grown from 12 vendors in its first year to 65 vendors in 2010, making it the largest producer-only market in metro Atlanta? 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 shoppers.

Due to this year’s increased city regulatory costs, the Market needs YOUR help to continue its success. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the Zyman Family Foundation up to $5,000. We have raised nearly $3,000 of the $5,000 needed to meet the matching grant and cover city-required police officer and permit fees! Now is the time to save your Farmers Market when $1 = $2.

To Donate: Tax-deductible gifts to the Market can be brought to the Market or mailed to Peachtree Road Farmers Market, 2744 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta GA 30305. Please contact Market Manager Lauren Carey at 404-365-1078 with any questions or to learn more about Market sponsorship opportunities.

To be eligible for the matching program, the gift must be made by a check and be received by Dec. 1, 2010. Checks should be made out to Peachtree Road Farmers Market.

- Jennifer Maley

Kitchen Maestro

Join us for this week’s Chef Demo with
Gerry Klaskala of Aria – 10:00 am on 7/ 31
Chef Demos are sponsored by Whole Foods Market



Buckhead’s Aria is in its 10th year of serving up music to our palates in a dining room that’s a feast for our eyes. Owner and Executive Chef Gerry Klaskala’s menu reflects his passion for both art and food, and has earned him a spot among only five other restaurants in the city to have achieved five stars from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Klaskala’s love for food and art began early, with robust home-cooked meals prepared by his grandmothers and a talent for painting. But the culinary arts won out when he went in search of some extra spending money and found a job in a kitchen at the age of 15. He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with honors, and has been creating culinary masterpieces ever since.

In Atlanta, he earned national acclaim as Executive Chef of The Buckhead Diner before leaving to open Canoe, one of Atlanta’s most celebrated restaurants. It was at Canoe, where he’s still an owner today, where his career as chef and restaurateur began. Its success enabled Klaskala to plan and orchestrate an even more intimate dining experience, which became Aria. His principles of fresh ingredients, simple flavors, and time-honored techniques have been highlighted in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Esquire and The New York Times.

When he’s not in the kitchen at Aria, Klaskala, donates his time to numerous food events benefiting organizations like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, American Cancer Society, Georgia Organics, High Museum of Art and Share Our Strength.

Join Chef Klaskala for this week’s Chef Demo and also for the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, benefiting Georgia Organics, on August 8. This is the last weekend to buy your tickets at the Farmers Market before prices go up on August 1 – the early bird gets the tomatoes, y’all!


- Jennifer Maley

Purple Power

It’s eggplant season! Part of the “nightshades” family, these bright beauties are related to other summer favorites like tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. Eggplant was first cultivated in China in the 5th century B.C., later introduced to Africa before the Middle Ages, and into Italy in the 14th century. It then spread throughout Europe and the Middle East and, centuries later, was brought to the Western Hemisphere by European explorers.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for eggplant, though – early varieties’ bitterness gave it the undeserved reputation of causing insanity, leprosy and cancer. So, for centuries after its introduction to Europe, eggplant was purely used as garden decoration. It wasn’t until new, less bitter varieties came along in the 18th century that eggplant took its rightful place as just as good to eat as it was to look at.

We now know that eggplant is just plain good for us, too. It’s a great source of dietary fiber, potassium, thiamin, folate, magnesium, niacin, and vitamins B1 and B6; plus, it contains phytonutrients such as nasunin, otherwise known as “brain food.” Study up with this recent AJC article on eggplant, featuring Heirloom Gardens’ Paula Guilbeau, and look for fresh eggplant starting this month at the Market!


Photo by Flickr user jayluker


- Jennifer Maley

Market to Table

Check out this week’s Chef Demo with Ford Fry
of JCT. Kitchen & Bar - 10:00 am on 7/ 24
Chef Demos are sponsored by Whole Foods Market

Chef Ford Fry has a passion for “Southern Farmstead Cooking,” and his authentic, gourmet comfort food has made JCT. Kitchen & Bar a home away from home for many of us foodie Atlantans! A Houston, Texas native, Chef Fry puts it best saying, “Food is a necessary ingredient to our culture in the South. We want good, fresh foods that are expertly prepared and pleasurable, both in taste and from the social aspect.” His menu at JCT. elevates traditional family favorites through perfect preparation of the best ingredients our local farms have to offer.

Prior to the 2007 opening of JCT., Chef Fry spent nine years with EatZi’s Market and Bakery, developing gourmet meals for folks on the go. His extensive culinary background also includes stints in executive and sous chef positions at The Ritz Carlton in Aspen, where he was honored to work with some of the world’s top chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, Dean Fearing, Julia Childs and Jacques Pepin at the acclaimed Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

Since its opening, JCT. Kitchen & Bar has garnered accolades not just locally, but also nationally in publications like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Elle Décor and has been recognized by John Mariani and The Today Show’s food editor, Phil Lempert. Chef Fry’s “Angry” Mussels have even appeared on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.”

Join Chef Fry for this week’s Demo and learn how to turn your Market groceries into the best thing you’ve ever eaten (and if rumors are true, famed mixologist Laura Creasy will be on hand to make the best virgin Bloody Mary you’ve ever had, too)! Don’t forget to ask them about the upcoming Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, hosted by JCT. Tickets for the annual tomato throw-down are available for purchase all month at the Market – get yours before they sell-out, or risk being a rotten tomato!




- Jennifer Maley

On WABE: Sweet Sounds of the Ice Cream Social

July is National Ice Cream Month and, while it is clearly our duty to enjoy a bowl or two of this frozen treat as often as time and pant sizes allow, it’s even better to have enjoyed 30 fantastic flavors at last month’s Ice Cream Social! The fourth annual event benefiting Slow Food Atlanta brought together top chefs and home cooks, one delicious bowl at a time. Take a listen to the sounds of this year’s Social here, originally aired on WABE’s City Café. Warning: side effects to listening include hand to spoon reflexes and frequent trips to your freezer or local ice cream purveyor.

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month and the Farmers Market by making up a batch of homemade ice cream, yogurt or sorbet, like this easy Blueberry Sorbet, made with fresh berries from the Market!




- Jennifer Maley

Around the World with Okra

Photo by Flickr user NatalieMaynor

Most folks in the South think of okra as one of our native veggies, and rightfully so. The little green pods, belonging to the same family as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus, were introduced to southeastern North America in the early 18th century and have been an integral part of our food heritage ever since. But okra’s history and uses go back much farther than just our ancestors here in the States. The plant is native to West Africa, first originating in the Ethiopian Highlands, and can be traced back to Egyptians and Moors of the 12th and 13th centuries. From Arabia, okra spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea eastward, and later was documented in India and Brazil.

As evidenced in the list of countries where okra thrives, it’s among the most heat and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world – right at home here in the American South! And, if you’ve ever walked around Decatur’s ethnic grocery store, Your DeKalb Farmers Market, you’ll see the many other cultures that associate this tasty summer staple with home. Okra is a traditional food plant in Africa, India, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Palestine, among others. Preparations include usage in thick meat and vegetable stews (eastern Mediterranean); young pods cooked whole (Middle East); stir fried with spices, pickled, salted or added to gravy-based preparations (India and Pakistan); eaten as soup, often with fish (Caribbean); cooked with rice and maize (Haiti). And, at the end of the 20th century, okra became popular in Japan, particularly as tempura. We can relate.

Here are three great recipes with southern roots from Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, including fried okra. Try them out with this week’s batch of fresh okra from the Market!

Pickled Okra
1 pound okra, washed
1 Yellow onion, peeled and sliced
6-8 Dried hot chiles
2 T. Coriander seeds
1 T. Black peppercorns
1/4 cup Kosher salt
3 T. granulated sugar
1.5 cups water
1 quart apple cider vinegar

Canning jars
Tongs
Clean towels
Large pot with lid
Extra water for boiling

In a large pot, boil lids, seals, and jars for several minutes. Remove carefully, drain, and place onto clean towels to dry. Leave the pot of water on the stove for future use.
Wash okra and trim any long stems. With clean hands stuff the okra into jars and pack tightly. Add 1-2 dried chiles 2-3 slices of onion per jar, and distribute the spices evenly among each jar. Meanwhile, bring the sugar, salt, vinegar and water to a boil in a nonreactive saucepot. Ladle the hot vinegar brine into the jars and quickly seal them. Then place the sealed jars into boiling water. Make sure the water is at least an inch above the top of the cans. Cover with lid and boil gently for 10 minutes. Pull the jars out carefully with tongs and then allow to cool. Check the lids to make sure the jars sealed properly, then once cooled, store in a cool dry place for a minimum of 5 days before opening.

Sautéed Okra
3 T. EVO
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 pound of okra, washed and trimmed
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 ripe tomato, skin removed, and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes

Small pot of boiling water to remove tomato skins
Heavy bottomed skillet or non-stick sauté pan

In a small pot or medium sized saucepan, bring some water to a boil. Place the tomato into the boiling water for approximately 60 seconds or until the skin bursts. Remove the tomato immediately and plunge into ice water. Peel the skin off then trim and dice into medium sized pieces.
Wash and drain the okra, trim the tops off, and then cut in half lengthwise.
Heat olive oil in a wide skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently, then add slivered garlic, hot pepper, okra, and season again. Cook for five minutes, then add chopped tomatoes, seasoning again. Serve as a side dish or add to pasta for a main dish. Also delicious if cooked with shrimp, added with the tomatoes.

Fried Okra
1 # washed and drained okra, cut crosswise into pieces as thick as the okra is wide
Cold water
Sea salt
2 cups finely ground white cornmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch
6-8 cups vegetable oil for frying (canola, safflower, peanut, etc.)

Skimmer or wire mesh basket
Thermometer for measuring oil temperature

Place okra into a container with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the okra to produce a thick natural coating.
Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a bowl to make the dredge and heat the oil to approximately 350 degrees.
With your hands, pull the okra out of the liquid and allow to drip dry for a few seconds, then drop into the dredge. Toss to coat well. Pick up the coated okra and shake well in a sifter or mesh strainer basket.
Drop the okra carefully into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Using a skimmer or something similar, pull the okra from the hot oil and drip dry for a few seconds, then toss into a paper towel lined bowl. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.



- Jennifer Maley

Viva Italia!

Chef Demo this Saturday with Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge
10:00 am on 7/17

Originally heading for a career in criminal justice, it’s a good thing for us that Chef Keira Moritz chose to follow her passion for cooking instead! Since finishing culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, and receiving her foodservice management degree from the university’s campus in Denver, Colorado, Moritz honed her skills at Denver’s Panzano and San Francisco’s Puccini & Pinetti. A Georgia native, Chef Moritz returned home to express her talent for creating exciting Northern Italian dishes and traditional steakhouse classics at Midtown’s Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge. She supports local farms and artisan producers to provide the best meats, seafood and seasonal produce at the peak of their quality. Moritz and Pacci were recently recognized in Esquire magazine as one of the “Best New Restaurants of 2009.”

When she’s not in the kitchen at Pacci and AltoRex, Moritz is spending time with her border collie, Magnolia, running marathons and kayaking. She also enjoys growing her own herbs and tomatoes.

This Saturday, Chef Moritz will show you how to take this week’s harvest and create your own Italian masterpiece – molto bene!





- Jennifer Maley

From “Who’s your farmer?” to “Where’s your farmer?”

Peachtree Road Farmers Market and Love is Love Farm volunteer Emma Lacey-Bordeaux explores the unique situation today’s farmers face: small scale farming vs. increasing commitments. In this piece for CNN’s eatocracy, Emma talks with Judith Winfrey about our current generation of farmers.

Want to lend a hand to your local farmers? Take a look at what Crop Mob Atlanta is doing to help.





- Jennifer Maley

You Say Potato

Yes, potatoes DO have a season and for us Georgians, this is it! Fresh potatoes are juicier and more tender than “storage potatoes” you’ll often find at the grocery store. Check out this post and recipe from Market vendor Riverview Farms and, come this Saturday, “consider the potato.”













Photo by Flickr user di_the_huntress


- Jennifer Maley

Cool as a Cuke

It’s hot out there, y’all! As we enter the dog days of summer, when it’s too sweltering to consider turning on the oven, take pleasure in these two cooling cucumber recipes from Market-shopping bloggers Sweet Pea and Punkin Seed. And visit their blog to learn more about the history behind these heirloom recipes. 



Don’t forget, you can send us your own recipes to post for Peachtree Road Farmers Market shoppers! Just send your recipe and a photo of the finished product to laurencarey@peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com. 



Recipes and images courtesy of Sweet Pea and Punkin Seed



Mimi’s Sliced Cucumber Salad with Vinegar

Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

White Vinegar, enough to cover sliced cukes

Sliced sweet white onion (preferably Vidalia)

Salt & pepper

Ice cubes

Peel and slice as many cucumbers as you’d like and place in a bowl. Add sliced white onion, season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix. Cover with white vinegar – if you want the salad to be a little milder and less vinegary, replace some portion of the vinegar with water. Top with ice cubes and place in refrigerator to chill before eating. This is best made an hour or less before you plan to eat, so that the cucumbers are at their freshest.















Mimi’s Buttermilk Salad

Serves 6

3 medium cucumbers

1 small clove garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme (I used fresh lemon thyme)

Salt

1 quart buttermilk

Optional: thin slices of sweet white onion

Peel and slice cucumbers as finely as possible. Put the garlic through press and add with thyme to the cucumber. Add onion if you’re going to use it – only use a small amount and slice very thinly. Mix thoroughly with the cold, fresh buttermilk and season to taste with salt. Serve immediately or chill for an hour and serve.























- Jennifer Maley

Follow That Beard!

Don’t miss this week’s Chef Demo with Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill – 10:00 am on 7/10

You’ve seen Chef Kevin Gillespie on last season’s Top Chef as a finalist in the top three and voted “fan favorite” by viewers. Gillespie is a “farm favorite,” too, named one of Mother Nature Network’s top “40 Chefs Under 40” in November 2009 for linking farms to forks and promoting better health for people and the planet. The love for his quality cuisine, utilizing seasonal, organic and sustainable products, keeps coming in 2010: honored by Gayot.com as a “Top Five Rising Chef” and named as a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award. Just last month, Gillespie was invited to prepare a meal at the James Beard House in New York City and was also featured on “Cooking with Emeril” on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

And yes, even Gillespie’s beard has a following! Not only did he and his beard visit the Beard House, but Gillespie’s beard was also honored here at home as Facebook Fans of Kevin Gillespie’s Beard hosted a Beard Bash at the W Midtown.

You can find Gillespie and his beard at Woodfire Grill, where he is executive chef and partner. An Atlanta native, he’s also a member of Slow Food Atlanta, Southern Food Ways Alliance, Chefs Collaborative and the Society for the Preservation of traditional Southern Barbecue.

Come check out tips and recipes for your Market groceries with Chef Gillespie this Saturday!
















- Jennifer Maley

Real Simple Loves Our Real Farmers

This month’s Real Simple magazine features recipes from farmers markets across the country, including one from Peachtree Road Farmers Market’s own Greg Brown. His recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Crostini is the perfect summer snack or party food. And you can find almost every ingredient at this week’s Market!

Greg and his wife Maeda have owned and operated Greenleaf Farms in Barnesville, GA since 2007. This is their second year offering naturally grown produce and flowers at our Market each Saturday. Learn more about Greg’s journey returning to the land and about his unique produce varieties in this great article from Atlanta Magazine.

- Jennifer Maley

Keepin’ it Fresh

Finding fresh, beautiful produce is not hard to do at your weekly Market. Storing it properly so that you can make the most of it? That can be a bit trickier. For instance, did you know that basil is actually better off at room temperature than in your fridge? Check out more tips like this, including which veggies are best in a sealed bag vs. a perforated one and which produce shouldn’t hang out together in your crisper, in this article from SAVEUR.

The Market is open this Saturday and the tomatoes are looking gorgeous! Thanks again to our friends at Saveur for this quick, tasty recipe for Roasted Tomatoes. Share some with your family this Holiday weekend – Happy 4th!


- Jennifer Maley

Farm Fresh Cooking

This post was adapted from Kitchen Dancing
Recipe courtesy of Kitchen Dancing, adapted from Eating Well

This time of year, as anyone shopping the local farmers market knows, greens are plentiful. Normally when I roast vegetables, I just toss everything with olive oil and stick it in the oven. The method used in the recipe below makes more dirty dishes and requires more attention, but it does get great results. All of the vegetables are done just right – unlike my lazy method where some vegetables are inevitably overcooked or undercooked.

Please enjoy the recipe below and send us your own recipes to post for Peachtree Road Farmers Market shoppers! Send your recipes and a photo of the finished product to laurencarey@peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com.

Roasted Vegetables With Arugula Pesto

Roasted Vegetables

4 cups baby or new potatoes, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, halved or quartered depending on size

5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 cups peeled carrots

1 squash or zucchini, halved or quartered depending on size

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup baby arugula for garnish

Arugula Pesto – or save a step and use Hope’s Pesto,
available at the Market!

1 clove garlic, peeled

5 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I substituted almonds)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

To prepare vegetables: Position rack in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F.

Toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl and spread on a large baking sheet. Roast in the lower third of the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss carrots with 2 teaspoons oil in the bowl and spread on another large baking sheet. After the potatoes have roasted for 5 minutes, place the carrots in the upper third of the oven and roast potatoes and carrots for 15 minutes.

Toss squash a with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the bowl. Add to the pan with the potatoes, toss to combine and return to the oven. Continue roasting until all the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 8 to 10 minutes more.

To prepare pesto: Meanwhile, drop garlic through the feed tube of food processor with the motor running; process until minced. Stop the machine and add arugula, cheese, pine nuts, 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse and then process, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is a smooth paste.

Toss the roasted vegetables with 1/3 cup pesto and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the large bowl (reserve the remaining pesto for another use: refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze). Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with arugula, if desired.

This Week at the Market

A Tour for your Taste-buds
Not sure what to buy or where to find it at the Market? Or just looking for a few new ideas to get yourself out of a cooking rut? Tour the Market this Saturday with Chef Thomas McKeown of the Ellis Hotel’s Terrace on Peachtree. Chef Thomas is a regular at the Market and would love to share the secrets of farmers market shopping with you! Meet at the info tent at 9:00, 9:30 or 10:00 am for this special Chef-led tour of the Market.

Keep an eye out for the season’s first blueberries and blackberries!

About Chef Thomas McKeown
Chef Thomas brings an Irish perspective to his culinary approach at the Ellis Hotel's signature restaurant, Terrace. He celebrates heirloom recipes, supports local and regional farmers, and raises awareness for a more sustainable and vibrant food community.

Chill Out
If you missed out on buying your tickets for the sold-out Ice Cream Social, don’t worry! There’s another way to get your cool fix this Saturday at the Market. Fresco Pops will be here! This Saturday only, $1 from every popsicle sold goes to support Peachtree Road Farmers Market. With fresh fruit ingredients from our local farmers, you’ll enjoy every refreshing bite! Our favorite is Lime Mint featuring Farmer Jeff's mint. Try them all!


- Jennifer Maley

Your Farmers Market Needs YOU! Take Part in the Green for Greens Challenge!

Have you heard about the new City of Atlanta regulations affecting your local markets? These new rules and permits have been implemented without prior notice and are generating unanticipated costs. The regulations, including the required presence of an off-duty police officer each week, are increasing operating costs and stretching markets to the limit. Just this season, an additional $5,000 is needed to stay afloat. The Market needs your help so that these new fees aren’t passed along to the farmers and artisans you see each Saturday.

Each dollar you donate will be doubled, so please take the Green for Greens Challenge! A member of the Zyman Family Foundation (a long-time Market shopper) has graciously offered to match dollar for dollar all gifts to the Market up to $5,000! With your support, the Market can cover the regulatory expenses for this year AND most of 2011 without raising vendor fees. Any amount will help ensure that the Market continues to be a source for local, sustainable veggies, meats, cheeses, and the other goodies you enjoy each week. Now is the time to save your farmers market when $1 = $2.

What You Can Do:

1. Donate
Tax-deductible gifts to the Market can be brought to the Market or mailed to Peachtree Road Farmers Market, 2744 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta GA 30305. Please contact Market Manager Lauren Carey at 404-365-1078 with any questions or to learn more about Market sponsorship opportunities.

To be eligible for the matching program, the gift must be made in the form of a check and be received by Dec. 11, 2010.

2. Contact the Mayor’s Office
We are so thankful for your support of the Market and our Market members. Please continue to contact the Mayor's Office to express your support for farmers markets all over the city at 404-330-6100 or mkreed@atlantaga.gov.

you can help... from Anthony-Masterson on Vimeo.

- Jennifer Maley

Share the Love – Vote for Peachtree Road Farmers Market as America’s Favorite

Do you think H&F Bread Co. is the best thing since…well…sliced bread? Do you love how green your greens are and how crunchy the cukes and radishes? Do you have a hard time deciding between a loaded up slice at Moto Bene or a lobster roll at Souper Jenny or a sweet crepe from Crepe Masters? Did last week’s Chef Demo from Steven Satterfield make you want to buy squash in bulk? Do you come home each Saturday with a piece of cheese, a jar of jam, a touch of honey, or a piece of meat you didn’t plan to buy, but are so glad you did? Don’t you just love your Peachtree Road Farmers Market? If the answer is yes (we sure hope so), VOTE FOR US as your favorite market!

Last year we earned an honorable mention, but this year we know we can win with your help! We need about 6,000 votes to win, so please share with friends and family. Also, if you have a great photo of the Market you can upload it to the Farmland.org Flickr Page to win a prize, too!

Cast your vote now at Farmland.org/vote


- Jennifer Maley