Eric Davis, Judith Salter-Davis and Ellie Beagle are the Winners of the Best Farmer Costume AND the Winners of the Best Family Costume (for 3 or more members in the same theme).

Winner of the Best Pet Costume

Winner of the Best Vegetable Costume

Tied for Winner of the Best Fruit Costume

The prize for each winner includes:
1) a bag of fresh produce in a reusable Virginia Grown tote bag
2) a box of brownies from K & M Cupcakes 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/K-M-Cupcakes/114390505319723
3) a coupon for a free glass of fresh squeezed orange juice from Fresh Joseph's
http://www.westendfarmersmarket.org/1/post/2011/05/fresh-josephs.html

Prizes will be distributed at the West End Farmers Market on Sunday, November 6.

Looks like Sunday's forecast might be calling for rain. The parched ground and browning grass of Ben Brenman park will certainly rejoice if it does!  And here's another reason to celebrate:

To thank our most loyal customers for coming out in the rain, the West End Farmers Market will be instituting a Rainy Day Raffle!

To enter, you must go to the market and take a photo in the rain. Email the photo to info(at)westendfarmersmarket(dot)com on that day with the subject line "Rainy Day Raffle." Each photo counts as a separate entry. You may enter as many times as you want.*

The winner (our Rainy Day Warrior) will be announced on the West End Farmers Market blog the next day (Monday). The Rainy Day Warrior must return to the market on the following Sunday to claim the prize - a voucher** for $10 worth of goods or services from any vendor at the West End Farmers Market.

*Photos may be used for promotional purposes on the West End Farmers Market website, Facebook page, etc.
**Voucher must be used on the day it is given and can only be used one time (at one vendor) - with no remaining value after its use. Voucher is not valid for cash back.

Starting in February people in the neighborhood began asking, "When does the farmers market start?"  The glittery eyes, the minor note of desperation as they grilled for a date, revealed a customer suffering from fresh food withdrawal. 

Why do we like our food fresh?  Well to begin with, it tastes better - as a matter of fact it tastes great!  Other more intellectual reasons: there are more nutrients when a vegetable or fruit is picked the day before, there are usually far less pesticides and fertilizers used in local, small farming, and local fruits and veggies are not grown from genetically engineered seeds.  At the farmers market, a juicy ripe tomato, is a luscious-taste-sensation tomato, not a peanut/corn/tomato hybrid with a thick skin and little juice.  

The drawback of course is that local fresh food is only available during the growing season.  But what if you could extend the growing season, or rather extend the period you could enjoy the abundant fruits of the growing season?  In the two hundred years since preserving food in sealed glass jars was invented, people have created stupendously tasty recipes for keeping all manner of fresh fruits and vegetables available through the sparse winter months.

This year the National Farmers Market Coalition in partnership with the company that makes Mason Canning jars and tools has chosen The West End Farmers Market and 49 markets throughout the U.S. to help promote canning as a method for people to have access to fresh food through the winter. 

At the West End Farmers Market we will be having canning demonstrations, giving away coupons and pamphlets, having a raffle for free canning kits, and BEST OF ALL, we are sponsoring a canning recipe contest.  Look for more information on this blog and our facebook account.

Until then - All you foodies out there - WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE MARKET.
Stop by the Eden Good Tent or the West End Farmers Market Hospitality Tent for more information.