Volunteer With CCFM for Farmers Market Week! | July 24, 2023

Fresh & Local:

Volunteer With CCFM for Farmers Market Week!

Mark your calendar for a week full of community, connectivity, and, of course, FOOD! National Farmers Market Week is August 6–12. As members of the National Farmers Market Coalition, CCFM participates in this national event, and do what New Orleanians do best: celebrate! Farmers markets are community hubs that foster direct relationships between community members and farmers, which can create a more fair and sustainable food system.

This is an Eat Local NOLA event that is open to the public and fun for the whole family. There will be special activities at each market. To view a calendar of all events offered during Farmers Market Week, click here. Each market will have live music, a free watermelon tasting, and fresh, local produce and food. For a list of who is at the market this week, click here. Realcycle will offer free compost and recycling collection at each CCFM market during Farmers Market Week. Acceptable recyclables include broken-down cardboard, aluminum, and glass; no plastic or trash, please. Acceptable compost materials include food waste (no oily foods, meat, or dairy, please), leaves, wood chips, clippings, and coffee grounds.

Are you interested in helping out at National Farmers Market Week? CCFM needs volunteers! Volunteers will assist with set-up, breakdown, and support activities. Volunteers get to spend the day connecting with local food producers, businesses, and community partners that make our markets and food access work possible. Market Umbrella is a small team, and volunteers truly make a difference in our work! To view and sign up for shifts, click here.

Picks of the Week:

Extra Kitchenware Drop-Off Days

Have you rounded up your unused kitchenware yet? Donate your gently used pots, pans, barware, small cooking appliances, cookbooks, and dishes to be sold at the Second Annual Kitchenware Sale. Please drop off your donated items Monday through Friday from 9am until 4pm through August 1 at our offices located at 200 Broadway, Suite 107. Plus, bonus drop-offs on July 27 at the Thursday Market at the Lafitte Greenway from 3pm to 7pm and July 30 at the Sunday Market at City Park at Tad Gormley Stadium from 8am to noon.

The kitchenware sale will take place at the Tuesday Uptown market on August 8th from 8am to noon. Come shop for unique and affordable kitchenware while you support Market Umbrella and the Crescent City Farmers Market!

GTG Receives Funding for Another Year

Greaux the Good, Louisiana’s statewide nutrition incentive program operated by Market Umbrella, received its second year of funding with an allocation in the 2023–2024 state fiscal budget for $750,000. This means another full year of providing funding and administrative support to Louisiana farmers markets and other eligible entities to create and expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentive programs. This good news builds upon the expansion of Greaux the Good to include an incentive program for Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) with select partner locations added in June 2023.

Greaux the Good continues to equip and empower families to purchase more fresh, local, and healthy foods while generating more business for local farmers and qualified food businesses. The Greaux the Good program, Market Umbrella, existing partners, prospective partners, community organizations, state agencies, and most importantly, farmers and families, are appreciative of the state’s continued commitment to support this work.

To read the full press release, please visit greauxthegoodla.org/pressreleases.

Greaux the Good is Greauxing fast! Please visit the Greaux the Good website and follow Greaux the Good on social media pages for the latest updates: Instagram: @greauxthegoodla | Facebook: Greaux the Good | Twitter: @greauxthegoodla

CCFM is Hiring!

Do you have a passion for public health and love events at market? Join the Market Umbrella and CCFM team to help us build a stronger food system and a healthier community! CCFM is looking for a part-time Program Coordinator to assist with SNAP-Education activities in the market like market tours, cooking demos, tastings, Marketeers Kid’s Club activities, Market Mommas Club meet ups, and Meet Me at the Market field trips.

CCFM is also looking for a part-time FMNP Program Coordinator to assist with the implementation of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and accompanying nutrition incentive program, Greaux the Good. The FMNP Program Coordinator’s main work is processing FMNP transactions, distributing the matching of FMNP incentives, and providing information and guidance to FMNP customers in the market space. Click here to learn more about both positions and to apply!

Moonlight Market Thank You: Trepwise

Three cheers for Trepwise Strategy Consulting for their sponsorship of this year’s Moonlight Market! Trepwise supports individuals and organizations who have been historically denied full economic and social inclusion and helps them turn ideas into action. In addition to their sponsorship, Trepwise is helping Market Umbrella explore leadership options through their Trepwork for Good Initiative. Trepwork for Good features a significant pro bono effort to expand access to business and support services for entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders with limited resources. We appreciate the work Trepwise does to address barriers preventing ideas from spreading, and we appreciate their sponsorship of the Moonlight Market Fundraiser this past April.

Vendor of the Week:

Sassy Cajun Spices

Meet Sandra Smith of Sassy Cajun Spices! Sandra Smith brings us shrimp stew, boudin, and a bangin’ pre-made gumbo mix. Add water, vegetables, and your protein of choice, and boom–a bowlful of Southern comfort is ready in half an hour. Sassy Cajun Spices has been in the business for ten years, selling gumbo mix, hand-mixed spice blends, and other savory treats like her best-selling jambalaya mix and five different cajun dips (pro-tip: ask for a sample!). The recipes have all come from the Pointe-Aux-Chenes tribe in Terrebonne Parish, of which Sandra and her mother are both members. Inspired by her grandparents, she continues to carry on the tradition they and the other tribe members have passed down by sharing their delicious methods with those who appreciate good ol’ Louisiana cooking. Catch Sandra at all three of our weekly markets!

Recipe of the Week:

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Grab yourself a packet of Sassy Cajun Garlic Dip, milk and butter from T&R Dairy, shrimp from Pete and Clara’s or Anna Marie Seafood, and pasta from Costantini at market to whip together this deliciously creamy shrimp pasta! This recipe comes to us courtesy of Sassy Cajun Spices, and it is a shrimp-ly mouthwatering recipe with many key ingredients found at market.