The Market Is Open

ALFN Members,

The market is open. Even after the first day of winter, the market is full of fresh produce. From organic spinach to spaghetti squash, there is enough diversity in our local market to fill the bulk of your meal plans throughout the whole week.

UPDATE

Website Product Categories

We will be making a small change to the categories on the left side of the market website beginning next week. Our aim has been to simplify categories and provide specific sub-categories under “Locally Produced Goods.” Market organization will be food-based with the “Locally Produced Goods” containing all sub-categories for added-value products. You will still be able to search for items, but we believe this small change in category organization will make the shopping experience more intuitive.

Community Market Day

We have a few new projects we are excited to implement in 2016. Starting in January, we will begin having a once a month “Community Market Day.” Every last Saturday of the month, we will celebrate local ingenuity by inviting members to share skills, by inviting a couple of our growers to highlight their products, and by inviting other local artists to present their work. We hope these Community Market Days will be an enjoyable time where ALFN members can linger a bit and, for example, converse with their growers, taste a new smoothie mix or new coffee roast, listen to some local tunes, or take a quick mini-workshop on fermenting vegetables, or natural dyeing techniques. In other words, Community Market Day will be whatever YOU want to share with our larger ALFN community. Our first Community Market Day will be January 30th. If you are interested in sharing a skill, whether it be culinary or craft, please email me. Closer to the date, I will advertise what we will be doing that day. For know, brainstorm what you might enjoy sharing and mark January 30th for Community Market Day. Also, if you are a musician or know musicians who would be interested in playing for an hour or two, please contact me. Piano, tuba, guitar, flute or juice harp—all are welcome to play. Amateur, professional, young or old—all are welcome to play!

Bulk Grains/Flour Survey

Finally, be looking for a survey in the next couple of weeks. We have another project up our sleeves to increase the selection of products on ALFN’s market. We hope to provide access to more regional grains for members who are looking for bulk grains or flours that can be organic and/or non-GMO. We will disperse a survey at the beginning of January to gather data and interest. Our goal is to keep working for ALFN to be a one-stop shop for members that continues to expand the quality and depth of our local economy.

Stay Tuned!!!

Kyle Holton
Program & Market Manager