Fresh News

Want our Tickets? Here’s how!

Be the FIRST person to respond on Facebook with the correct answers to the following questions:
Hint: All of the answers can be found on our website at www.farmers4good.com

1) There is a photo of two of our employees holding a Tomato sign. What does the sign say?

2) True or False: The words “Vikings” and “Astronauts” are on our homepage.

3) How much money did Abe Lincoln School earn in the month of August with Farmer’s 4 Education?

4) Other than Education, what other “Farmer’s 4″ programs are on our website?

5) Which fruit do kids spin at our stores to get a free piece of fruit each time they visit?

Remember, respond on Facebook not in-store and only folks who have not already had our tickets this season are eligible. The winner will be the FIRST to answer all 5 questions correctly. Good Luck!

Posted in Uncategorized

Results for August are in!

Results have just been tabulated for the month of August! What may come as a surprise to absolutely nobody is that August was the biggest month for the program yet. This speaks volumes about the excitement and interest from Belleville area schools that August can top even the months of May and June which benefit from flower sales that are all but non-existent in August.

Here’s what each school (Signal Hill & Whiteside will be added next month) earned in the month of August:

Abraham Lincoln    $189.14
Douglas                        $48.52
Franklin                        $46.52
Henry Raab                 $28.78
Jefferson $28.21
Roosevelt                     $83.34
Union                          $55.83
Washington                $20.83
Westhaven                  $81.05
High Mount                $91.13
Wolf Branch               $85.20
Millstadt                       $90.99

Use the updated Leaderboard to see where your school ranks after our 4th full month of Farmer’s 4 Education rewards!

Posted in Uncategorized

4 FREE Cards Tickets ~ First Row Redbird Club!

We’ve got a ton of new Fans recently who are about to learn first-hand why it pays to be a Fan of Farmer’s Market! Tomorrow (Tuesday 9/01) at 5 pm we’re going to give away 4 Tickets to Tuesday night’s Cards vs. Brewers game. Ask anyone who’s already won our tickets this season, these are AWESOME seats. Perched right above 3rd Base in the FIRST ROW of the Redbird Club.

We’ll have more details on how to win the tickets tomorrow on Facebook so stay tuned. The only stipulation is I’m looking for someone who has NOT already won our tickets earlier this season. Let’s give the new batch of Fans a chance on this one.

Tags: Community
Posted in In the Community!

News Flash from Farmer’s Market!

Just going through the weekend numbers and it looks like we had a milestone. Last weekend marked the FIRST time that Farmer’s 4 Education swipes made up 10% of our total business for the weekend. To put this in perspective, remember that we’ve been in business for over 35 years. A 4 month old program designed to support the education of our community’s youth is now making up a double digit slice of our business! What’s even more exciting is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. More schools are calling everyday to join in. Church groups and non-profit groups will be launching soon, and the Boy & Girl Scouts won’t be far behind. Together we’re making a BIG impact on our community!

Tags: Community, Farmer's 4 Education
Posted in Farmer's 4 Good News!

“Rind Time”

Tags: Fruit, Homegrown
Posted in All Things Local!, Veg-Email Deals!

Top 12 Reasons to Eat Local!

Freshness. Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the consumer. Produce from California can’t be that fresh.
Taste. Produce picked and eaten at the height of freshness tastes better.
Nutrition. Nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete.
Purity. Eighty percent of American adults say they are concerned about the safety of the food they eat. They worry about residues of pesticides and fungicides. These materials are not permitted in an organic production system either before or after harvest.
Regional Economic Health. Buying locally grown food keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy, increasing the local quality of life.
Variety. Local farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful unusual varieties you will never find on supermarket shelves.
Soil Stewardship. Soil health is essential for the survival of our species. Conventional farming practices are rapidly depleting topsoil fertility. Creating and sustaining soil fertility is the major objective for local growers.
Energy Conservation. Buying locally grown organic decreases dependence on petroleum, a non- renewable energy source. One fifth of all petroleum now used in the United States is used in Agriculture. Smaller production systems do not rely upon the input of petroleum derived fertilizers and pesticides and thus save energy at the farm. Buying from local producers conserves additional energy at the distribution level.
Environmental Protection. Soil erosion; pesticide contamination of soil, air, and water; nitrate loading of waterways and wells; and elimination of planetary biodiversity are some of the problems associated with today’s predominate farming methods. Local growers use practices that protect soil, air, and water resources; and that promote biodiversity.
Cost. Conventional food processes don’t reflect the hidden costs of the environmental, health and social consequences of predominate production practices- of, for instance, correcting a water supply polluted by agricultural runoff, or obtaining medical treatment for pesticide induced illness suffered by farmers or consumers. When these and other hidden costs are taken into account, as they should be, locally grown foods are seen clearly for the value they are, even if they cost a few pennies more.
A Step Toward Regional Food Self Reliance. Dependency on far away food sources leaves a region vulnerable to supply disruptions, and removes any real accountability of producer to consumer. It also tends to promote larger, less diversified farms that hurt both the environment and local economies/communities. Regional food production systems, on the other hand, keep the food supply in the hands of many, providing interesting job and self-employment opportunities, and enabling people to influence how their food is grown.
Passing on the Stewardship Ethic. When you buy locally produced food you cannot help but raise the consciousness of your friends and family about how food buying decisions can make a difference in your life and the life of your community; and about how this basic act is connected to planetary issues.

Tags: Homegrown
Posted in All Things Local!

Are you a Corn Head?

Quiz question answers:

1) True

2) b) 800

3) True

4) True

Tags: Veggies
Posted in All Things Local!

Homegrown Corn coming soon…

What an awesome shot of our Homegrown Corn with the American Flag in the background! Thanks to our corn grower, Meyer Farm in Collinsville, IL for the photo!