Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Share the IWFM with Social Media this Week!

We need your help to spread the word about Indy Winter Farmers Market this week!

If you are on Twitter, mention us @IndyWFMkt when you are talking about where & what you'll be up to this weekend for the #SuperBowl2012.

If you're on Facebook, let your friends know you'll be going by registering for our Facebook Event.

If you have a smartphone please take a moment to read the following:

The official Super Bowl XLVI Guide is available at the app store as a helpful guide for visitors. "A detailed guide to local restaurants, nightlife and official Super Bowl events," it's a pretty great app but it lacks some favorite local spots, IWFM being one of them.

Please go to the App Store, or the Android Marketplace, and
find the "Super Bowl XLVI Guide." Once on the app's page, scroll to the bottom. You'll find a "report a problem" button. Hit that button, select "my concern is not listed here" and leave a comment in the space below. Here is an example of what you could include in your comment:

As a resident of Indy you're missing a big attraction the day before the Super Bowl, The Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market located at City Market. This is downtown at the corner of Delaware and Market. Considered one of the best markets in the state, the selection of locally-sourced foods, produce, and ready-to-eat breakfast and lunch selections are great options for Big Game visitors. The market runs from 9:00am to 1:00pm. every Saturday. If you update this app please add this location for visitors who will be searching out wholesome, ethically farmed and raised food.

Thanks!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

IWFM Weekly Newsletter for January 16, 2012

Check out our weekly newsletter here.

Learn about what the IWFM is doing for the Super Bowl, The Indy Food Swappers' SUPER Swap, how to Eat Well on a budget, a recipe for Mac & Cheese, and our weekly vendor calendar.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

IWFM Packed Lunch Challenge!

We believe there are a lot of great ideas for packed lunches in the IWFM community, and we want to hear yours! Please submit your favorite adult or child packed-lunch menu by January 28th. You can email your menu to info@indywinterfarmersmarket.org, or submit it in writing at the IWFM Market Info Table. We will select the four most creative (and achievable) packed-lunch menus to include in our February weekly e-newsletters. Those highlighting foods available at the IWFM will earn bonus points!

On Saturday, February 25th, the IWFM will hold our first ever packed-lunch competition! More details will follow, but prizes will be awarded in 5 categories:
1) Most Creative School Lunch - Popular Children's Vote,
2) Most Creative Work Lunch - Popular Adult Vote,
3) Most IWFM Product Ingredients - Juried,
4) Most Nutritious & Delicious - Juried,
5) Coolest Lunch-Box/Packing Method - Juried.
(Voting will be based on menu and presentation, not on tastings.)

To get your creative juices flowing, we recommend listening to the the podcast from How To Do Everything about how to pack an awesome lunch. Or try this recipe for Dinosaur Eggs, also from How To Do Everything. Check out Fed Up with Lunch as well, a woman's anonymous blog about eating school lunches with her students everyday for a year.

Friday, January 20, 2012

IWFM Newsletter for January 19, 2012

Check out our newsletter from January 19, 2012 to learn more about our fundraising classes (including the spinning and yoga class this Saturday with Craig Brown!), the IWFM Packed Lunch Challenge, Indiana Organic Gardeners Association meeting, Slow Food Indy meeting, Indy Super Swap, and information on the Super Bowl. See the newsletter for a Greek Quesadilla recipe from A Couple Cooks and our vendor calendar for January 21!

See the newsletter here.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

IWFM Weekly Newsletter for Jan 12, 2012

Check out this week's newsletter by clicking here.

Learn about our Packed Lunch Challenge, upcoming Tap Room Talk on fermented foods, fundraising classes with the Indy YMCA/Indy Bike Hub, and more info on the IndyHub WinterFeast. Every week we feature a recipe from A Couple Cooks, our vendor calendar, and featured events for the upcoming week.

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter on our website.


Join IWFM and IndyHub for WinterFeast - Jan 17

WinterFeast
January 17, 20125:30pm - 7:30pmTomlinson Tap Room & Indianapolis City Market West Wing222 E. Market St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

Kick off the new year with IndyHub and Indy Winter Farmers Market!

If you are a young professional or Indy Hubber, we hope you can join us for WinterFeast, a community night and dinner at the market with some of our vendors, on January 17, starting at 5:30pm.

We'll start the night by grabbing a Sun King brew at Tomlinson Tap Room before heading to City Market's west wing - the new, permanent location for IWFM. Hear how IWFM supports local farmers, Indy's local food movement and about IWFM's new food voucher program. Then, we'll break out into round table discussions and a family-style dinner made with ingredients from IWFM vendors and prepared by local chef Becky Hostetter and food blogger Sonja Overhiser. Dessert will be truffles made by Litterally Divine chocolatier Suzanne Litteral. Led by eight of the most influencial foodies in Indianapolis, you'll learn about urban farming, food creativity, trends in organics, and much more. After the discussion dinner, learn about how you can get involved while browsing a sample of IWFM vendors before ending your night back at Tomlinson Tap Room.

Enjoy this event for $20 at the door - we're only covering food cost and the rest goes to IWFM's voucher program!

Register here!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Indiana Organic Growers Association Meeting - January 21

Join the Indiana Organic Growers Association for their Winter meeting on January 21, 2012 at Greenwood Library, 310 S Meridian St, Greenwood, IN.

Starting at 11:30am, there will be a pitch-in meal, followed by a brief meeting and a discussion on heritage poultry and organic gardening by IWFM vendor Laura Karr. We hope you can attend this great meeting!

Check out more information here.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Slow Food Indy - Super Bowl not the biggest stimulus to local economy this year?

Local Food in Indiana: Where do we go from here?

Community Leaders & Local Farmers Answer at Slow Food Indy Annual Meeting

For more information, contact Slow Food Indy President Tyler Henderson: tylerhenders@yahoo.com


What: Slow Food Indy Annual Meeting & Pitch-In

When: Sunday, January 22, 2pm-4pm

Where: Wheeler Arts Community (1035 Sanders Street in Historic Fountain Square, Indianapolis)

What to bring: a dish to share and your own dining ware (plates, cups, utensils, etc.)


The Super Bowl may not be the biggest stimulus for the local economy this year.

Just before the end of last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report estimating locally grown foods to generate $7 billion dollars in 2011. With Indianapolis and the state poised to claim a big piece of that local food economy pie, it could make the short-term injection of even the Super Bowl's millions look like small potatoes.


While each Super Bowl ticket means short term investments of hotel stays and souvenir receipts, the USDA report concludes that "farmers’ markets have been found to have positive impacts on local economies." Citing Midwestern states' research, the report outlines how each dollar spent at farmers' markets brought an additional 58 cents of in-direct local spending and how two new full-time farmers' market jobs spurred the creation of an additional full-time job in another local sector.


Going to market is just the beginning, since the Indiana State Department of Agriculture reports that for every salary dollar earned by local farmers and food producers, more than 2.5 times that amount flows into a local economy.


As Indiana's unemployment rate teeters around the national 8.6% unemployed and the state of our economy is at the forefront of debate locally and nationally, the results of the USDA's report on local food's long-term cash infusion and job creation can't be ignored...even with the big game on the way.


Despite Indianapolis' renown as the cradle for aspiring chain restaurants (where lots of dollars leave the local economy), the city and surrounding communities are making changes that mean more jobs and more money stay in central Indiana. Within the last two years around Indianapolis, the number of farmers markets continues to increase, more and more urban lots are available for growing food, the city's first food co-op celebrated its one year anniversary, hospitals and businesses are partnering with local producers for fresh, local food, and locally-owned restaurants and retail shops receive national media attention for the quality of their locally-sourced dishes.


The local food accomplishments in Indianapolis' recent past are many, but where do we go from here and how can Indiana see even more benefit from what even the USDA recognizes as a strengthening segment of our economy?


Those are the questions a panel of local community leaders, cooks, and farmers will work together to answer during Slow Food Indy's annual meeting and pitch-in, Jan. 22, 2-4pm in the Wheeler Arts Community. Join Chef Neal Brown of The Libertine and PIzzology along with CEO and Medical Director of Wishard Health Services Dr. Lisa Harris and David Robb who manages Harvestland Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture where produce is tended and harvested by client-employees from the Aspire Indiana Behavioral Health System and Anderson University students. Also joining the panel is farmer Greg Gunthorp who turned his back on commercial agriculture to raise animals all-naturally which not only saved his farm but spurred the local economy as his operation grew to the largest true pasture poultry operation in the U.S. while chefs near and far praise the quality of his all-natural, humanely raised poultry and pork. Moderating the discussion is Laura Henderson, founder of the Indy Winter Farmers Market.


It's the in-season for local food in Indiana. Is our team ready for a winning season?

Friday, January 6, 2012

Grow Well, Eat Well & Live Well = Be Well

Growing Places Indy and the Indy Winter Farmers Market have partnered with the Bike Hub YMCA to offer four fitness and fundraising classes. Each class will be by-donation (suggested donation of $10, but any amount will be graciously accepted). Donations go to the Eat Well Initiative that makes it possible to use food stamps at the IWFM and distributes Veggie Bucks vouchers to low income and high health risk individuals to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at the IWFM. You do not need to be a member of the Y to attend these classes.


Did you know that Farmer Craig Brown teaches spinning and yoga? Or that market founder Laura Henderson and loyal IWFM volunteer Andrea Townley both teach yoga? It's true, and they are delighted to share their teaching talents to encourage you to Live Well while supporting others to Eat Well. We hope you'll come and join us!

January 21st @ 1-2 p.m.
Spinning + Yoga with Farmer Craig Brown
Join Craig for a 30 min spinning class followed by a 20 min yoga cool down. All levels are welcome.

February 11th @ 12-1 p.m.
Aligning with Love - Yoga Flow with Laura Henderson
Join Laura for a one hour yoga flow class that will encourage you to align your body, mind and spirit with a greater sense of love and passion for life as we approach Valentine's Day. All levels are welcome.

Mark your calendar for spinning class on March 10th with Deb Hirt and yoga class on April 14th with Andrea Townley. More details to come.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Vendor List for January 7, 2012

Here are the vendors who will be joining us this Saturday, January 7, 2012.

3 in 1 Restaurant
Artisano's
Body Eclectic
Bridgeton Mill
Brown Family Farm
Chocolate for the Spirit
Circle L Bison
Dickinson Furniture
Duos
Eden Farms
Farming for Life
Fields of Agape
Fermenti Artisan
Gluten Free Measuring Cup
Good Life Farms
Harvest Cafe
Harvestland Farm
Hole Pottery
Homestead Growers
Homestead Heritage
Keen-Wah
KG Acres
Lena's Mediterranean Kitchen
Lick LLC
Litterally Divine
Ludwig Farm
Muddy Fork Farm
Paper or Plastic
Peace Leaf Tea
Project Endure
Rene's
Rosie's Riblets
Schacht Farm
Simpson's Farm
Smoking Goose
Stout's Melody Acres
Sumac Grove/Eden Prairie
Sunset Acres
The Christopher Farm
Trader's Point
Tranquil Ridge
Wildflower Ridge
Wild's Apple
Your Family's Pasta

Check out our weekly list on the IWFM Calendar, where you can preview weeks to come and learn more about our weekly vendors.