Don’t Settle for Medi-Okra; Make National Farmers Market Week Amazing; Support CCFM Today! | August 7, 2023

Fresh & Local:

Don’t Settle for Medi-Okra;
Make National Farmers Market Week Amazing;
Support CCFM Today!

National Farmers Market Week is here and so is okra season! Okra is a Louisiana summertime favorite that is rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, fiber, and antioxidants. Okra can be found on many tables at market including Monica’s Okra World, Isabel’s Tamales and Produce Poche Family Farms, and VEGGI COOP. For a list of who is at the market this week, click here. Look for firm, springy okra pods with no mushy, brown or yellowing spots. Most cooks agree that the perfect pod size is four to five inches long. If you plan to cook it right away, store the pods on the counter. Otherwise, store them unwashed in your refrigerator for 2-3 days in a breathable bag.

Okra-dokey! The Farmers Market Week festivities continue tomorrow at the Tuesday Uptown Market with the Second Annual Kitchenware Sale and Chef Nini Nguyen will lead a cooking demo at the Thursday Mid-City Market! Both markets will have live music, a free watermelon tasting, and fresh produce and food from local vendors. Realcycle will offer free compost and recycling collection at both CCFM markets. This Eat Local NOLA event is officially recognized by the City of New Orleans and is open to the public and fun for the whole family. To view a calendar of all events offered during Farmers Market Week, click here. Love to have fun at CCFM events? Donate today to continue the growth of CCFM’s programs, relationships with partners, and the reach of work!

Picks of the Week:

The City of New Orleans Recognizes National Farmers Market Week

Farmers and ranchers provide the people of New Orleans with access to healthy, local, and regionally produced foods through farmers markets. Farmers markets contribute approximately $9 billion each year to the U.S. economy, serve as outlets for small-to-medium, new and beginning, and veteran farmers, and support the revitalization of rural communities nationwide. Mayor Cantrell proclaimed the week of August 6–12, 2023, as New Orleans Farmers Market Week, in conjunction with the observance of National Farmers Market Week. The City of New Orleans recognizes the importance of expanding agricultural marketing opportunities that assist and encourage the next generation of farmers and ranchers; generate farm income to help stimulate business development and job creation; build community connections through rural and urban linkages; and more! Let’s celebrate!

Remember to Observe the Parking Regulations

As you prepare to come out to Crescent City Farmers Market to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, make sure you are familiar with the parking rules! We want to create a safe and seamless experience for market participants and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods! When parking at market, please pay attention to nearby street signs for listed parking restrictions at each market. At our Thursday Mid-City Market, this includes no parking on the uptown side of Lafitte Avenue. For our Sunday City Park Market, there is no parking on Marconi Drive in areas with diagonal white parking lines or on the neutral ground (park there and you might find yourself with a ticket). Finally, at our Tuesday Uptown Market, customers may enter the Tulane parking lot from Broadway or Leake Ave. When parking at any market, please pay attention to any nearby street signs so that we may all continue to enjoy all market locations.

Annual Customer Survey Sweepstakes

Now is your chance to tell us about your shopping experience and enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a CCFM merch bundle! Three lucky winners will be selected and no purchase is necessary to enter. Survey responses impact future decisions about Market Umbrella’s markets, programs, and activities. Even if you don’t regularly attend our markets, your opinion is valuable and we want to hear from you. To read the full sweepstakes guidelines and take the survey, click here!

Animal Friends Found at Market

A market visitor and local animal lover, Susan, found a newborn kitten at the Sunday City Park Market. Thankfully, Market Coordinator, Reagan has experience raising small animals, including quail and rats, and she agreed to take the kitten home. After some tender loving care with Reagan, Ziggy’s eyes and ears are now fully open, and they’re graduating from formula to dry food; the before and after photos speak for themselves! We sure are lucky to have so many kind folks and connections with our natural environment at market!

Vendor of the Week:

Poche Family Farm

Poche Family Farm is located in Independence, Louisiana, a fitting name as the family is the sole labor force on the farm. Charise (who you’ll see weekly at market), Albert, and their children Billie and Camille use sustainable agriculture techniques like utilizing natural fertilizers, organic pesticides, cover crops for soil maintenance, and unheated structures for weather resistance called high tunnels.The farm was started with the intent to grow nourishing food to feed their family, and now that dedication is carried through in all their crops as they’ve expanded the business to feed many families through our markets. Their selection varies with the season. Right now, you can find them at the Tuesday Uptown Market. Stop by the stand for produce, including tomatoes, peppers, squash, okra, and herbs like basil. Plus, you can find value-added products like freeze-dried turmeric, pepper jam, and honey.

Recipe of the Week:

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Basil Salt

Pick yourself up some basil and shishito peppers, find them both with Poche Family Farm, and take a whack at this Blistered Shishito recipe by Giada de Laurentiis. Shishito peppers range from mildly spicy to even a bit sweet. Occasionally, you’ll come across one that has a serious kick. This charred, crunchy, smokey snack results in a fun roulette, who’s gonna pick the spicy pepper?