So Long 2012…. You Were Great!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful Holiday Market!

Amazing things have happened this year at White Rock Local Market. We are a tiny nonprofit, moving up to be a small one, and our small but devoted crew has worked hard to realize our goals…. We are so grateful for all of the wonderful experiences we have had this year.

Great things in 2012 that were new:

our nonprofit status; the WRLM membership program; our commitment to be growers-only; help from Kristen DeRocha, Arielle Richman, Kineta Massey, and Heather McRae; the WRLM office! our Sprouting Healthy Kids after school program; Heather Rinaldi and all of our talented after school teachers; Love Your Farmer volunteer days; workshops on pickles, cheese, chickens and such; new vendors: Noble Coyote, Fruth Farms, New Roots IRC Gardeners, John Wolf, Latte Da Dairy, Alpha Omega Acres, We Over Me Farm, Three Happy Cows, Cita’s Salsa, Brian Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots, EMA Baking, Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, Just Pies; our small farmers and new artists – too many to mention; plans for 2013!

Great things in 2012 that were not new:

working with Mary and Bruce; the Green Spot; our patient neighbors at Lake Highlands Village; veteran artisans, growers and artists – too many to mention; Lisa Staffelbach and Lisa Taylor; being outside at 6am; breezy market days; the parking lot in 100 degree heat (so worth it!); our lovely jury; little boy volunteers; day-long parties twice a month; supporting local businesses; making money for other people!; seeing neighbors greet neighbors; great music; dancing children; visiting farms; selling tokens to Lone Star users; shoppers with bags stuffed full of veggies; bringing healthy food to our neighbors; bringing customers to farmers; vendors selling out; vendors trading with each other; eating lots of pie; watching someone walk away with a new bike; knowing we’ve created community…

Thank you to all of our vendors who worked so hard this year, and to all of our friends and neighbors who supported the market. Expect more in 2013…

Happy Holidays!

Did Someone Say Pie?

Birds and Bees Workshop, and Love Your Farmer Day November 3

Join WRLM on Nov 3rd when we’ll learn about backyard chickens and beekeeping in the am at the Unitarian Church of Dallas – then those who want to learn how to “process” their own chicken will have lunch, and head out to Fruth Farms for that demo.

Lunch is from Brian Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots – a huge hit at WRLM!

For those simply wanting to volunteer, they are invited to Love Your Farmer Day at Fruth Farms in the afternoon. Caroline Fruth has put together a list of easy and difficult chores to help with – from laying fertilizer and seed in a field, to building a goat shed, even help with branding and other goat/ calf maintenance.

So, for those wanting to learn how to raise hens for eggs, or bees for honey, or where their meat comes from, we have a clear demonstration of “Farm to Plate,” and for those wanting to help out a small organic farmer, we have that, too!

Please pass along!
Sign up here…
http://www.dallasuu.org/ProgramScroller/11-3-birds-and-the-bees.html

Do You Love Your Farmer? Join us at WRLM Love Your Farmer Days

WRLM Strengthens the Bonds Between Consumers and Farmers

With Love Your Farmer Days, White Rock Local Market organizes volunteer supporters to help small farm operations

White Rock Local Market is organizing the first in a series of Love Your Farmer Days, in which customers and patrons of WRLM donate their time and muscle power to help the farmers and ranchers that supply us with fresh produce, dairy products and meat.

The Love Your Farmer Days project realizes our core mission to create and strengthen relationships between consumers and food producers, by providing opportunities for our community to learn from – and help – small farm and ranch operations in north Texas.

Love Your Farmer Days participants will witness first hand the amount of work required to bring food to the table. Supporters of all ages will have an opportunity to lend a hand and assist with farm chores from weeding, digging and planting to building chicken coops and mending structures. Along the way, we will experience a more personal link to our food supply, and bring that knowledge home to our own kitchens and gardens.

One of the most rewarding things about being part of WRLM has been watching consumers build relationships with our fabulous vendors. We want Love Your Farmer Days to take it a step further, and create a real, direct and personal connection.

The first Love Your Farmer Days work session will be held September 29 2012 at Farmer Jones Plants and Produce in Poetry, Texas. Stay tuned for details!!!

To volunteer for Love Your Farmer Days, contact info@whiterocklocalmarket.com

Workshop: You Can Pickle That!

Click the poster to sign up. WRLM members at the Family Farmer ($250) level and up attend for free.

Big weekend at the White Rock Local Market! (May 26)

In addition to all of our amazing food artisans and produce this weekend:

1. WRLM welcomes Paul Quinn College  to the market this Saturday! Our newest vendor will begin selling organic produce at WRLM – grown on two acres of their converted football field. You can also buy certified organic blueberries from Berry Best Farm in LaRue, Texas – get them while they last! We also welcome organic growers Larken Farms and Alpha Omega Acres, Lightsey Farms, and regulars Texas Worm Ranch, Farmer Jones Plants and Produce, Rae Lilli Farms, and many more.

 

2. This Saturday is Community Garden Day at WRLM – we’ll have lots of extra LOCAL produce from right down the road, from Paul Quinn College We Over Me Organic Farm, Promise of Peace Garden, Lake Highlands Community Garden, Hexter Elementary Garden and Stonewall Jackson Garden, Live Oak Community Garden, and Bon Aire Community Garden. Come support the LOCAL in WRLM…

 

3. What are Community Gardens all about anyway?  WRLM explains it all Saturday during our Community Garden Day… Have you ever wanted to start your own community garden, or join one? Want to learn how to garden in raised beds? Wondering how to keep your garden alive in the drought of 2012?  Come to WRLM’s free demos this Saturday from 9am – 11am and visit the booths of our guest community gardens. 9am – Raised bed gardening with Heather Rinaldi from Texas Worm Ranch; 9:45 – Best Practices for Water Use in 2012 from the Dallas Office of Environmental Quality – they’ll also have tips on starting a community garden in Dallas; 10:30 – How to Start a Community Garden from Steve Clary of Texas Worm Ranch, Lake Highlands Community Garden, and Lake Highlands Today. 

Box of Awesome!! Drawing June 9 for Members.

Click me and click the DONATE button! Each $25 donation to your market gets your name in the drawing once.