Early birds get the spring produce.

Asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, spring onions, even spinach? We expect them to be available this week due to the early spring, but you might not get them if you sleep in! Get to the market early this week to enjoy coffee and breakfast and to make sure you don’t miss out on the early spring produce!

What’s Available?

~Asparagus, strawberries, meat, eggs, jams and jellies, rhubarb, artisan bread, lamb, cheese, honey, butter, bedding plants and seed starters (vegetables, herbs, and flowers).
~Coffee, scones, arepas, tacos, tiramisu, tarts, gluten-free doughnuts, candies, iced tea, hamburgers.
~Handmade jewelry, soap, garden bling, aprons, coffee tables, bird houses, pottery, stained glass.

This week at the market:

Saturday, May 12.

10:00am-12:00pm “Second Saturday” Family Activity:
It’s Spring and the Market is back! Absorb the colors, textures, sounds, scents, and tastes. No matter the weather, the Midtown Farmers Market is a feast of beauty for all of our senses. FromCreate a May basket and fill it with what you discover through smell, sight, touch, hearing, and taste. Join in! Everyone is welcome.

Market Music:
9:00am-11:00am Shaun Daniel
11:00am-1:00pm Fireroast Mountain Boys

Public Art Project: The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization will be painting a pavement mural just around the corner from the market! For more details, click here.

Market Bucks are back!

Check out our EBT page to learn more about our EBT incentive program, and help us spread the word that we gladly accepts EBT and offer a $5 incentive for EBT customers each Market day. This means up to $10 of free market goods each week. Come take advantage of this great deal!
This project was supported by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and its Statewide Health Improvement Program, funded by the Minnesota Department of Health and by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

It’s finally here: This Saturday is Opening Day!

With leafy trees and blooming flowers, it sure looks and feels like spring. This Saturday, May 5, come to the Midtown Farmers Market to taste spring! Visit us at 2225 East Lake Street, our home for the 10th season. Between 8am and 1pm, greet new and familiar faces, shop for new and familiar vendors’ wares, hear live local musicians, get tips from Master Gardeners, and enjoy being with neighbors in the open air. Keep reading for more details!

What’s Available?

~Asparagus, strawberries, jams and jellies, rhubarb, artisan bread, lamb, cheese, honey, butter, yogurt, bedding plants and seed starters (vegetables, herbs, and flowers)
~Coffee, scones, arepas, tacos, tiramisu, tarts, gluten-free doughnuts, candies, iced tea, omelets
~Handmade jewelry, aprons, hula hoops, coffee tables, bird houses, crayons, pottery, children’s clothing

This week at the market:

Saturday, May 5.

Community Tables:
Master Gardeners
Free Phone MN

Market Music:
The Gated Community 9:00-11:00am
Neal Swanger and the Folk ‘n’ Thieves 11:00am-1:00pm

Celebrate our 10th season & Cinco de Mayo with Senator Patricia Torres Ray
Join us at 9:00am for coffee and casual conversation about the future of the market and possibilities to secure funding from the legislature for a long term plan for the market.

Market Bucks are back!

Special thanks are in order: to Gandhi Mahal, for serving as our gracious hosts; to market vendor Anne Leck of Native Oaks Farm for donating the delicious lamb; to the crew at Harriet Brewing for pouring their fabulous brews; to Minnehaha Lake Wine and Spirits for providing the wine; to our musicians for the evening; to the our market vendors — including Black Onyx Creations, Rebecca’s Bakery, and Courageous Crumb — whose desserts made a perfect last touch to a satisfying meal; to Peace Coffee for after-dinner coffee; and to all the businesses and individuals who donated items to the silent auction.

To all those who joined us last night, thank you! If you missed this fundraiser, consider signing up for our mailing list (use the box on the right side of this page) so you can be sure not to miss out on the next one.

Photos by market volunteers Noel and Martha.

The Midtown Farmers Market will be hiring an Outreach Intern for the 2012 season to promote the Market Bucks incentive program* to SNAP-EBT recipients in the communities surrounding the market.

Job duties will include:

• Helping to develop and implement an outreach plan which will include meeting with local businesses and organizations, tabling at events, and connecting with residents.

• Distributing promotional signage and printed materials door-to-door, at events, and through connections with local organizations.

• Assisting market staff with the Market Bucks program on market days.

• Attending meetings with Market Bucks partners.

The ideal candidate would:

• Have outreach experience

• Be familiar with South Minneapolis

• Have connections with local organizations serving low-income families

• Be able to demonstrate an ability to work with minimal supervision

• Represent the Market and the Market Bucks Program in a professional manner

• Speak Spanish or Somali

Hours and Salary: 200 hours at $10/hr from May-October 2012 with the highest concentration of work hours occurring in June, July, and August.

Applicants must be available some Saturdays from 8:00am-2:00pm, Tuesdays from 3:00pm-8:00pm, and additional hours as determined by the Market Manager.

Email cover letter, resume, and three references to Amy Arcand (amy@corcoranneighborhood.org) by 5:00pm on March 28.

*This project was supported by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and its Statewide Health Improvement Program, funded by the Minnesota Department of Health and by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Celebrate the Market’s 10th season

with local food, drink, and fun!

Saturday, March 24

6:00pm

Gandhi Mahal restaurant

3009 27th Avenue South

Suggested ticket price: $50

Reduced rate: $30

Limited tickets available. Register now!

Questions? Email Emily at info@midtownfarmersmarket.org

or call our office 612-724-7457

Our application packet for 2012 vendors is now available:

Complete 2012 Vendor Packet

We’re looking forward to creating an exciting and diverse group of vendors for our 10th market season! If you are interested in becoming a vendor, complete the application by March 7. (Deadline for art & craft vendors is April 4). Submit it via email (please send to Market Manager, Amy Behrens) or mail it to our office:

Midtown Farmers Market

3451 Cedar Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55407.

Wednesday, November 16th, is  Give to the Max Day. Contribute to the Midtown Farmers Market and take part in the The Great Minnesota Give Together, the largest giving day in the nation! Your gift will support a vibrant, community-driven market that continues to set the standard for accessibility.

By giving to the Midtown Farmers Market through our Give to the Max Page you could be randomly chosen to win a Golden Ticket–every hour, from the stroke of midnight on November 16 until 11:59 pm that night, $1,000 will be given to a random donor’s charity. That could go a long way toward helping us make the tenth season of the Market the best one ever.

Register with Give to the Max in advance and be ready for Give to the Max Day:

1. Sign up with Give to the Max, here: https://givemn.razoo.com/signup

2. Become a “fan” of our page: http://bit.ly/GiveMFM

3. Check out the  list of the Market’s needs, from chairs for the picnic area to outreach materials for our innovative food stamp program.

4. Let your friends know you’re participating and invite them to become fans as well.

Are you on Facebook? Join our event online! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215185035219363 Are you on Twitter? Be sure to mention us! We’re  @MidtownFarmMkt.

When you support the Midtown Farmers Market, you’re supporting local farmers, sustainable agriculture, and healthy communities–you’re helping to create the kind of community we all want to live in.

The market is hoping to reach $2,500 in gifts next week. Create a GiveMN account to get the word out today, and Give to the Max on November 16!

In December 2010, the MPS board voted to support L&H Station Group’s concept redevelopment plan for the property, a plan that included space for the Midtown Farmers Market (which has operated on the site for nine seasons) and addressed other community objectives. At the Nov. 3 meeting, L&H Station Group will present revised plans in anticipation of approaching the City Planning Commission and Minneapolis City Council for approvals to break ground on the first of several anticipated phases of construction.

Efforts by residents and local government to shape the future of 2225 East Lake extend back over 10 years. Learn more about redevelopment objectives including theMidtown Farmers Market Program, Sustainability Performance Goals, and more at theCity of Minneapolis development page for this property, and Corcoran’s Land Use & Transportation page. Please contact Eric Gustafson at CNO with questions about the Nov. 3 meeting.

The above architectural rendering by L&H Station Group depicts their concept plan as viewed from the existing, elevated Lake Street / Midtown LRT station platform, looking south through the site toward 23rd Avenue South. Click here to view a larger version.