2009 HAS ARRIVED WITH PLENTY OF WEATHER BEHIND IT!

Farmers markets are receiving more attention these days in the larger discussion of focusing on local economies and reducing dependence on oil. Going green these days means going to your local farmers market. The 2008 season was proof positive of the new role the Espanola Farmers Market is playing in the lives of northern New Mexicans. It means produce locally grown and available to large numbers of people. Reasonable prices. Food for the table grown with love. No huge shipping costs. Carried from the field to the market to the table.

Happy New Year from the growers and their families and the many people responsible for the new Farmers Market site!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving from the customers and vendors of the Espanola Farmers Market! We have a lot to be thankful for. A new location. Record numbers of people buying fresh produce locally grown. We're spreading the wealth of friendship and another great year. See you in the spring.

ONLY TWO MARKETS LEFT IN 2008

October 20 and October 27th are the last farmers' markets for 2008. The vendors' tables are groaning with produce. Apples. Winter squash. Cukes. Onions. Garlic. Honey. And much more. Stock up for the winter.

ESPANOLA FARMERS' MARKET ON THE RADIO -KUNM

For the entire story on KUNM Radio, SELECT THIS LINK.

WINNERS OF NINTH ANNUAL VEGETABLE & BEST POEM CONTEST

Joan Logghe read some of the winning poems.

It’s been a fabulous year at the Espanola Farmers Market. On one day in August when there was a tracker, 1300 people showed up. “Our customer base has mushroomed,” said Sabra Moore, the market manager for the past nine years. On Monday, October 6th Sabra spoke to Deborah Begel of KUNM radio who will air a special radio feature about the market’s vegetable and poetry contest on the station this week. Are the gas prices keeping people at home and they're viewing the market differently? Is the market’s success because the produce prices are so reasonable? Is it because everyone wants to support their neighbors growing fresh fruit and vegetables? Or is it because the new market site is so appealing and accessible?

The annual vegetable contest demonstrates “...the perseverance of the farmers to adapt to local conditions,” Sabra Moore told the KUNM reporter who also interviewed shoppers, the vegetable and poetry judges. The new chapbook available for participants is "A Farming Chapbook Double Issue 2005-2006." The double issue for this year's contest (2007-2008) will be available next season. The book is free to participants but will cost $5 for others. Poetry winners will have their work published in the 2008 chapbook which can be picked up at the last market of 2008 on October 27th.

Each summer over 1,000 books for young people are distributed through the free children’s book exchange. Other new items include a compost bin for the flower garden and plans to expand the size of the market toward the back of the property and someday construct an adobe building for market events and meetings.

WINNERS ESPANOLA FARMERS’ MARKET NINTH ANNUAL BIGGEST VEGETABLE & BEST POEM CONTEST: October 6, 2008, Vegetable Judge: Chellis Glendinning/Poetry Judge: Joan Logghe

BIGGEST HEIRLOOM SQUASH
First Place: Eufelia Martinez, La Puebla
Second Place: Nicolas Romero, Vadito
Third Place: Mathias Mares, Chimayo

BIGGEST PUMPKIN
First Place: Elefio and Seraphine Montoya, Chimayo

BIGGEST APPLE
First Place: Eddie Esquibel, Dixon
Second Place: Susie Lucero, Dixon
Third Place: Seraphine Montoya, Chimayo

BIGGEST CHILE
First Place: Rosa Espinosa and Antonio Velasquez, Chimayo
Second Place: Luz & Leonard López, Nambe
Third Place: Rudy and Bernie Córdova, Hernandez

BIGGEST ROOT VEGETABLE
First Place: Nicolas Romero, Vadito
Second Place: Eufelia Martinez, La Puebla
Third Place: Eufelia Martinez, La Puebla

WILD CARD
First Place: Josie Gallegos, Velarde (giant corn)
Second Place: Luz López, Nambe (eggplant)
Third Place: Carmelita Martinez (basket of tiny vegetables)

VERY SPECIAL CATEGORY
Giant Pumpkin: Jeff Sandoval, Los Alamos

ODDEST VEGETABLE
First Place: Carmelita Martinez, La Puebla
Second Place: Elefio Montoya, Chimayo
Third Place: Rudy and Bernie Córdova, Hernandez

BEST POEM
First Place: Georgia Redd
Second Place: Sarah Blog
Third Place: Sachiko Cooper Dasilva
Honorable Mention: Vanessa Gonzales

NINTH ANNUAL BIGGEST VEGETABLE & POEM CONTEST

Monday, October 6, 2008. BIGGEST VEGETABLE AND BEST POEM CONTEST. Winners announced at 1:30 p.m.

Biggest pumpkin, biggest heirloom squash, biggest root vegetable, biggest apple or smallest apple, biggest chile, wild card outstanding vegetable. And best poem by a student about farming. Where? The Espanola Farmers Market. 1005 N. Railroad Avenue near Fairview.

Joan Logghe is the poetry judge and Chellis Glendining is the vegetable judge. All participants and winners will be included in next fall's Double Issue 2007/2008 of "A farming Chapbook." Double Issue 2005/2006 is available on October 6, 2008.

Deliver all poems and vegetable contestants to the market by 10 a.m. on October 6th Contest Day. For information, call 505-685-4842.

NEWS FROM THE MARKET: SURPRISES

The Espanola Farmers Market is full of surprises. It's more than the usual miracle of freshly-picked corn, vine-ripened tomatoes, shiny apples, onions so big they're like softballs, and more green chile roasting. Last week Jim Howard of Los Alamos set up shop to sharpen scissors, knives and small garden tools. It takes a while before people know he's there, but Jim's persistent. He's had a sharpening shop for the past six years. Denise Torrez of Espanola made a surprise appearance recently with handmade bird house gourds that she hangs in trees, on porches and carports. Hang them and the birds will come, she says. Sparrows, bluebirds, purple martins, wrens and robins.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE SMELL OF ROASTED CHILES

Gene Lopez roasted chiles for a long line of shoppers on Labor Day. The tables were loaded with fruit, squash, tomatoes, corn, apples, cukes, grapes and more.

SOY CANDLES FROM LUCRETIA'S CREATIONS

Tina Park and Joseph Stapleton were one of 14 venders this week at the Espanola Farmers Market. They're from Los Alamos and they urge everyone to relax and attain clarity when lighting a soy candle. They are 100% soy wax, all natural wicks, vegetable based colors and essential oils for scents.

GET READY FOR CHILES

The free chile roasting will be held on Monday, September 1st and upcoming on October 6th is the Ninth Annual Biggest Vegetable & Best Poem Contest. Put it on your calendar!

BREAD MAKER IN SPOTLIGHT AT MARKET

"Indian-Made Bread Banned From Espanola Farmers Market" is an article featured this week in the Rio Grande Sun. The Coriz family has been selling traditional bread, cookies and pies baked in their hornos at Santo Domingo Pueblo at the market for the past seven years, but last week, inspectors from the NM Environment Department asked Brenda Coriz to leave the market.

Brenda has a food safety certificate issued by the Indian Health Service, but the New Mexico Environment Department does not recognize the validity of that certificate outside of tribal lands. This narrow ruling could affect all Pueblo bakers who sell their delicious horno breads and cookies in farmers' markets, from food stands along the roads, at fiestas in Santa Fe and throughout the state.

A tribal-state task force has now been formed to look into this matter, in part in response to the actions taken against Brenda Coriz. Market Manager Sabra Moore is hopeful that this task force responds quickly and looks forward to the Coriz family once again selling their fine horno baked goods at the market.

IMPORTANT FOOD STAMP UPDATE!

Espanola Farmers Market will be able to accept EBT (Food Stamps) for the purchase of any fresh fruits, vegetables or other foods beginning on Monday, August 18, 2008. We will continue to accept WIC and Senior WIC and will also now be able to accept Debit Cards. Espanola Farmers Market is open every Monday from 10 am until 5pm, including holidays, throughout the growing season. We are located at 1005 N.Railroad Avenue just down the street from the corner with Fairview.

Visitors can find fresh produce of all varieties: quelites, calabacitas, local chile, sweet corn, horno roasted corn meal, chicos, many kinds of squash, pastelitos, okra, greens, onions, beets, carrots, potatoes, peaches, apples, garlic, horno bread, cabbage, fresh basil, osha, honey, and many other treats. We have USDA certified grass-fed lamb every third Monday. Children can select a free book at our Kids Book
Exchange. We also have a colorful selection of Market aprons, tee shirts or post cards and issues of A Farming Chapbook from previous Market seasons. Come visit us!

NEWS UPDATE

We will be accepting EBT (Food Stamps) and Debit cards starting in mid-August. Also, stay tuned for updates about the chile crop.

LAMB AVAILABLE NOW AT MARKET

Every third Monday market fresh lamb will be available. It started in July and will be on sale again August 18, September 15 and October 20, 2008. Robert and Jamey Archer (shown above) are driving down from Alamosa, Colorado where they're making available USDA certified grass-fed natural lamb. It's the only farmers' market in New Mexico where they're offering it for sale.

2008 MARKET IN FULL SWING

Rudy Cordova from Hernandez, New Mexico is among the local farmers selling out of the new location for the Espanola Farmers Market. He holds up two yellow squash that grew together. Squash is plentiful right now.

ANOTHER GREAT SEASON AT THE MARKET!

The Espanola Farmers’ Market held its COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY on Saturday, May 10th from10am-5pm. It's the beginning of the process of planting the market flower garden at our new site, 1005 North Railroad Avenue. Participants brought seeds, flower starts and gardening tools. The community flower garden at the market celebrates the start of a new season.

The Espanola Farmers Market opens on Monday, June 16th.

AT THE MARKET: Two more markets left!

Two Mondays are left: October 22 and 29, 2007

RIBBON CUTTING FOR NEW FARMERS MARKET LAND

October 15, 2007 was the big day --ribbon-cutting, mariachis, homemade food, sheep/llama viewing, the Biggest Vegetable and Best Poem Contest. About 100 people attended the celebration and a great time was had by all. Watch this blog for more photos of the event.

TODAY IS MARKET DAY & SAVE NEXT WEEK!

October 8th: Every Monday Market is a holiday. Visit us on Columbus Day. Apples of all varieties! Stock up on pumpkins and root crops- onions, carrots, beets, et al.

Save the Date: October 15th, noon to two: Celebration of New Market Site with ribbon-cutting, mariachis, food and sheep/llama viewing, followed by the Biggest Vegetable & Best Poem Contest. Regular Monday Market, 10 am until 5 pm both before and after the celebrations.

LOCAL HONEY AT ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET

Patti Lounsbury, an Espanola resident, is selling honey from her family business, Brad’s Bees, at the Espanola Farmers Market. Her husband is the beekeeper and she says starting out in the bee business developed like topsy. She noticed the cherry trees in her garden weren’t getting enough attention from bees. After one hive was set up, two more hives followed, and now there are 25 active hives with enough honey left over to sell and enter in the competition at the Rio Arriba County Fair this past summer.

For the entire story, click here.

AT THE MARKET: September 24, 2007

Full apple and pear harvest is here and prime season for root crops of all varieties. Stop by the manager's table for a selection of market postcards, aprons and tee shirts and the always-free Kids' Book Exchange.

THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET: Sept. 17, 2007

A bumper crop of all varieties of apples are starting to ripen and appear in the market stalls. Don't forget: it's the last days of fresh corn.

Upcoming on October 15th, noon until 2 pm:
Celebration of New Market Permanent Site and Eighth Annual Biggest Vegetable & Best Poem Contest. Details to come!

ALL IN THE FAMILY

On any particular day at the Espanola Farmers Market, Eufelia Martinez of La Puebla reigns over a loaded table of fruits and vegetables while her family members make change, package orders and visit with customers. They’ve been coming to the farmers market for over a decade. Food production is a family affair, from the tilling of the soil to the planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, picking and packing the goods for the weekly farmers market held from June through October.

For the entire story, click here.

THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET (September 10, 2007)

***** Free chile roasting with purchase of a bag of local chile!

DON'T MISS SUSIE'S JAMS AND JELLIES

Susie Lucero, of Dixon, has regulars who come to buy her jams and jellies at the Espanola Farmers Market.

For the entire story, click here.