This Weekend - February 20 - At the WCGM WINTER Market!

Are you geared up and ready to pick up some fresh and local produce and products? I can't wait for the Grower's Market tomorrow morning! I'll be picking me up some coffee, and walking down to fill up my reusable grocery bags. Hopefully it will last me until next month's Winter Market. Only 2 more until the REGULAR SEASON begins! YAY!

Be advised: Winter Market hours are shorter, running from 10am-12pm! So plan accordingly!

As promised, here are the complete list of vendors that will be at the corner of Church and Chestnut Streets tomorrow morning:

• Lindenhof Farm
• Big Sky Bread Company
• Ellen April Soap
• Chile Spot
• Lizzie's Kitchen
• North Star Orchard
• Windy Acres
• Oley Valley Mushrooms

Maple Hill Farm's Carol Hauser will make a special appearance with homemade pies as well!

Make sure to pre-order from Lindenhof Farm and Big Sky Bread Company if you want to be assured your items will be present.

I'll see YOU at the Market!

Winter Market #3 THIS SATURDAY!

Have you had enough snow this Winter? Can't wait for Spring?

Well, I can't give you that.

But I can give you this:

The WCGM will be hosting their 3rd Winter Market

THIS SATURDAY from 10am-12pm!

More details to come (check back Friday for a complete list of vendors). For those who love their locally grown meat and naturally baked bread, place your orders THIS WEEK into Lindenhof Farm and Big Sky Bread Co to assure your items will be available. Email your order or call!

Check back Friday! And I'll see YOU at the Market!

Please Watch This Film

Hello Faithful Market Goers. I know I owe a post writing up last weekend's lively Winter Market #2. But, I just watched a movie that blew my mind.

And you, being Faithful Market Goers, need to watch it:

Food, Inc

My mind is still reeling from the experience, so I'm not yet ready to comment on it.

Here is what I will say: this documentary made me so completely grateful for the amazing locally sourced grower's market we have here in West Chester. It made me want to buy all of my food locally. It made me want to ask questions about how the food I eat is raised or grown. It made me want to understand the food industry, be a more informed (and vocal?) consumer, and completely particular about what food comes into my household (and down into my belly).

But most of all, it made me want to thank all of our WCGM farmers (and product vendors!) for their hard work and integrity.

So, WCGM...

...Thank You...

PS - if you view this documentary, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or email me (see top right corner of the sidebar). The issues addressed in the film reside at the heart of the WCGM, and I believe all of us here at the WCGM would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Winter Market #2 Vendor Line Up

Ok. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that the West Chester Grower's Market will be open this Saturday. Even though technically it's Winter Market #2, it's really Winter Market #1 since we got snowed out in December.

And it will be the highlight of my weekend.

Here's why I am excited:

1) I love the WCGM, no matter what time of year it is

2) I can't wait to get me some awesome and fresh locally sourced food, produce and products.

3) It will be in the 40's that day. That means I won't freeze my butt off. Score.

4) It doesn't start until 10am, so I can sleep in a little bit.

As if you needed any MORE reason to get excited, here is the WCGM Vendor Line up for TOMORROW:

• Lindenhof Farm. Axel writes, "We will be bringing plenty of beef items such as roasts, steaks, ground beef, and plenty of pork items such as roasts, chops, and sausages. Chicken and turkey items such as whole, breasts, legs and delicious sausages are also available. Don't forget the "ready to bake and serve" fresh turkey and chicken pies and fresh brown eggs. We also have a limited amount of lamb items and a nice supply of pet food. So, you can take a chance that I will be bringing enough of the right items or check out our website and fill out a pre-order form and I'll send back a confirmation email."

• Big Sky Bread Company. You can now order for the market on line and pay for it on line. Stop by for some great breads and pastries!

• Ellen April's Handmade Soap will be bringing her regular line of soaps and lip balms along with a bevy of body products such as hand & body lotions, sugar scrubs, mineral salt soaks, and the wildly popular whipped monoi creme.Ellen will also be bringing a limited quantity of my special holiday soaps for sale at reduced prices. This is the last winter market before Valentine's Day, so she'll also be bringing some gifts all wrapped up for the special day.

• North Star Orchard will bring a few remaining Gold Rush apples for sale by the pound, as well as items in jars: Asian pear butter, apple butter, peach butter, and cider applesauce. There's a chance there will be some winter greens at their table as well. For those who'd like a 'stash' of Gold Rush, they are offering 20lb. bags for $35 (a $5 discount over buying that many by the pound). Folks who'd like to reserve 20lb. bags should email Lisa directly with their name and how many bags they'd like. Quantities are limited. Please email orders in no later than noon on Friday. Lisa's email address is: Lisa@northstarorchard.com (Special Note - North Star Orchard will be taking 100% of our sales (every last cent!) at market this Saturday and send it directly to help the victims in Haiti. So PLEASE stop by - it's for an IMPORTANT cause)

• Chile Spot will be there Saturday with an assortment of our sauces, jams and salsas. Their salsa's are are great way to warm up during these cold winter months (if you need ANY recommendation, just ask my Hubby!). Any of their pepper jams make a great snack with cream cheese or Chevre. Need a recipe? Check out Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Jelly Chicken that I wrote up about on my other blog!

• Lizzie's Kitchen. Lizzie will be there with her great baked goods! Yum!

• Windy Acres Farm

• Oley Valley Mushrooms

What reasons will YOU be going to the WCGM this Saturday morning? Leave a comment!

We'll see YOU at the Market!

Reminder: Winter Market Hours are 10am-12pm

WINTER MARKET #2 - THIS SATURDAY!

With the holidays long behind us, it often seems like an unbearable eternity until Spring arrives. Luckily, each month, the West Chester Growers Market is giving us a glimpse of light in the darkness of winter. That's right, this year, the WCGM will continue to have a once-a-month Winter Market until April (the beginning of the Regular Market Season).

Last month, you Faithful Market Goers remember that we were SNOWED OUT of Winter Market #1. The big Before-Christmas snowstorm struck on the exact Saturday that we hoped to kick off the Winter Market Season, complete with chances to purchase holiday gifts, local produce and have some FREE hot cocoa! Ellen April and Big Sky Bread arrived and stuck around for a few hours, having a few of the Faithful FAITHFUL Market Goers come by (you go, people!). Lindenhoff Farm also had an abbreviated Market time the next day for their customers.

Well, I've checked out the forecast for this Saturday, and with a call for sun and 40 degree temperatures, we are ready to showcase WINTER MARKET #2 from 10am-12pm!

I will, as always, post the list of vendors on Friday (when all have confirmed), but there are 2 vendors who wanted to get some info out to you early:

Lindenhof Farm and Big Sky Bread Company encourage you to pre-order (online/over the phone, respectively) before the Market. This will ensure you can get exactly what you want (in case they run out) and you won't have to wait in long long lines (Big Sky Bread Co will be putting pre-orders aside for easy pick-up)!

So if you are planning on getting some GREAT local meat or bread/pastries, consider pre-ordering!

Check back by Friday for a complete list of Saturday's vendors!

Abbreviated WCGM Sunday 3-5pm

There will be an abbreviated Market this afternoon from 3pm-5pm. Stop by to check out a few of the brave vendors who are venturing out after the storm!

Big props to Ellen April Handcrafted Soap and Big Sky Bread Co for selling DURING the storm yesterday!

WCGM WINTER MARKET #1 UPDATE!

Hello Faithful Market Goers!

As we've followed the weather forecasts, and awoke to this Winter Wonderland, most vendors will NOT be opening the WCGM this morning.

Ellen April, with her handmade soaps WILL be at the corner of Church and Chestnut Streets until 10am. She will not be setting up, but if you happen to have a pre-order, or are within walking distance, GO VISIT HER!

She also has FREE HOT COCOA!

Stay tuned as the WCGM decides if they will have a "snow date" for Winter Market #1!