Connecting while distancing | April 13, 2020

Fresh & Local:

Connecting while distancing

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to re-connect growers and eaters, but with proper social distancing! Through an incredible partnership with our generous hosts Parkway Bakery and Tavern, over 500 customers came to our Drive Thru market to pick up orders they’d placed and paid for in advance - and many received a complimentary BBQ beef po boy!

We’re glad it was appreciated, and we’re taking the next couple of weeks to retool, build an online ordering platform and make some tweaks to increase traffic flow in the market, as well as increasing personal safety precautions. With new efficiencies, we’re thinking forward with weekly markets in mind. We’ll keep you posted with developments, which are rapid these days.

In addition to supporting our vendors through direct sales, if you are in a position to consider a charitable contribution, your support is particularly needed as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances that are giving new meaning to our mission of “public markets for public good.” Your donation would help fund our operations so that we may continue connecting you with local food producers while also supporting programs like Market Match, which doubles the buying power of the many vulnerable families in our community and is available through the CCFM Box offered through Top Box (more on this below) as well as in Drive Thru preordering. Please, give now and help us to continue creating pathways for fresh, local food access throughout the New Orleans area.

Good Food Word of the Week:

While Market Umbrella is known for our farmers markets and fresh food access programs, food systems work touches on many social, economic, and environmental issues. The Good Food Word of the Week seeks to shed some light on these parts of our work and the way we talk - demystifying the jargon.

Food Insecurity

This week’s Good Food Word is Food Insecurity - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active lifestyle. Food insecurity often leads to stress, poor nutrition, and an elevated risk of chronic disease. Normally, one in six Louisiana residents struggles with food insecurity, including one in four children, although with increased unemployment and school closures, coronavirus has made this problem much worse. Learn more about the health impacts of poverty and food insecurity.

Picks of the Week:

CCFM Box

Crescent City Farmers Market has partnered with Top Box Foods and Refresh Farmers Market to provide you with healthy, local, and affordable food delivered to your home. The $40 CCFM box contains 8-12 items from CCFM vendors, mostly produce, and is offered twice weekly. We’re working on increasing the number available as they’ve been flying off the shelf but you can follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for updates on when sales launch. Order online at Top Box Foods New Orleans. When you get your box, tag us in a pic of all the great dishes you make with it - we love to see the fruits and veggies in action!

Market Match, our program that doubles SNAP dollars spent, does apply so SNAP users can purchase the box for only $20! Choose “pay at pickup” and Top Box will contact you directly to process your SNAP payment.

Home Gardening Support

Starting your own garden? Or if you finally have the time to apply yourself to your garden like you’ve always wanted to, our friends over at the LSU Ag Center can help. Agricultural extension offices have been bombarded with questions from new gardeners and are offering lots of resources to help you figure it all out. You can sign up for the GNO Gardening e-magazine, an excellent resource for the home gardener. This month’s issue is all about Victory Gardens and covers raised beds, planting plans, and container gardens. It always includes a veggie planting guide for the month as well as tips on pest and disease control.

Check out the GNO Gardening facebook page or join the group for information, community, advice and free stuff.

To sign up for the magazine or email photos of sick plants for expert advice, email gnogardening@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Vendor of the Week:

Support Crescent City Farmers Market Vendors by Purchasing Directly

Even though markets may be closed, vendors still have plenty of product to sell! Many vendors are doing deliveries or offering options for pick-up, allowing you to buy from our producers directly. Some farmers are offering pre-ordered, customizable CSA boxes available for pickup. You can visit https://www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org/vendors for a complete list of our vendors’ contact information, current availability, and pick-up or delivery options.

Recipe of the Week:

The Only Salsa You Need

Have you eaten all of your shelf stable quarantine snacks while unapologetically binging a Netflix series about a certain mix of big cat lovers? No worries, Bon Appetit has you covered. Instead of stocking up on canned salsa, make your own! It is incredibly easy and super tasty. Get all the bits roasty toasty, give them a blend, and chow down.

What’s your favorite dish to make after visiting the Crescent City Farmers Market? Share your recipes with us on Instagram or Facebook or even Twitter and it might be featured in our weekly newsletter!