Tomato Festival! This Saturday, September 11th

Tomato Festival
Join us September 11th at the Trout Lake Farmers Market for our annual Tomato Festival!

Showcasing the diversity of the tomatoes grown by local farmers is why the Tomato Festival returns year after year to the Vancouver Farmers Markets.

Tomato Festival activities include:

• Free Recipes to take home, featuring tomatoes of all types and other fresh market goodies
• Tomato Tastings – try heirloom and field varieties from organic and conventional growers
• Scavenger Hunt for Kids – find the answers to tomato questions and win fun prizes
• Tomato Beauty Contest – vendors will enter their Most Beautiful, Most Unusual, Ugliest and Biggest Tomatoes and shoppers can vote for their favorites!
• Tomato Preserving Demo – freezing workshop by Denise Fantinato
• Taste Test Challenge by Gipaanda Greenhouses – try new varieties and give your feedback!

The Tomato Festival aims to help people rediscover the tomato in all of its fascinating varieties. Few flavours compare to the fresh taste of a vine-ripened tomato harvested in season and brought to market by a local farmer. The tomato is a versatile staple in many cuisines and is perfect for preserving the tastes of summer for winter.

There is surely more to come as the festival nears so keep checking My Markets News, our website at www.eatlocal.org and our Twitter feed @VanMarkets for more fun!

**************************************************************************************************

Canning * Drying * Freezing * Pickling * Fermenting* Winter storage

The Vancouver Farmers Markets is offering a new series on preserving the bounty of the summer growing season.

Come and take part in our free, quick & simple demo classes at various markets from mid September to mid October that will teach people how to pickle, dry, can, ferment, freeze all sorts of fruits and vegetables to be enjoyed throughout the winter.

Small kitchen? No problem! You'll learn how to preserve small batches. Free tips and recipe cards will be available for each preservation method. Soon you'll be able to add fruit leather, party pickles and homemade canned tomato sauce to your winter local food menu!

The 10 minute demos will be repeated throughout the day and will go over all the basics of the featured skill. No registration necessary!

This is the first series in our new Winter Food in Vancouver initiative funded by Vancity's enviro Visa. Please visit www.eatlocal.org/makeitlast for more details and a schedule of demos.

****************************************************************************************************

RIPE - 2nd Annual Evening of Local Food & Libations

RIPE - Vancouver Farmers Markets 2nd Annual Evening of Local Food & Libations
Sunday, September 26 5-8pm

The casual family-style, all-ages event will include:
• A feast of delicious, local and seasonal food including BBQ’d local meats, corn on the cob and a variety of fresh salads, iced tea and lemonade from a variety of our farmers & vendors and prepared by Tivoli Caterers
• Local beer and wine for adults to enjoy
• The fabulous view of the mountains from the brand new Creekside Community Centre at Olympic Village
• A Silent auction and Live dessert auction
• Local, live entertainment Maria In The Shower
• And a kids activity corner!

By buying a ticket to RIPE you will be directly supporting the organization to not only improve the Farmers Markets that currently exist within Vancouver, but to grow the number of markets, bringing local, seasonal food to more people in more communities.

Tickets prices:
Members - $50 ea / $150 Family 4-Pack (2 adults & 2 children 15 or under)
Non-members - $60 ea / $180 Family 4-Pack (2 adults & 2 children 15 or under)
*All non-member tickets include a 1 year membership to the Vancouver Farmers Markets!
Learn more about our annual fundraiser and buy tickets online here or you can buy tickets at any of our markets - look for the RIPE info table!

The Cultch Community Square Dance - THIS FRIDAY!!!

Date: Friday, September 10, 2010
Time: 7-10pm
Place: The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street at Victoria Drive
Admission: By Donation at the door
For more information: thecultch.com

Looking for a low cost and fun community event that will get your blood pumping this Friday night?

Grab your dancing shoes and head to The Vancouver East Cultural Centre (“The Cultch”) for their 2nd annual Cultch Community Square Dance, a family-friendly celebratory community square dance featuring local string band Shout! White Dragon with professional dance caller, Charmaine Slaven.

The evening will consist of old-time traditional music that is an up-tempo combination of waltz, Appalachian, traditional country and western swing. Participants of all ages and diverse backgrounds will be lead through the various traditional dances by a professional dance caller. Dances are taught on the spot and no experience is necessary.

To add to the fun, The Art Express art bus will be parked out in front of the theatre for children, youth and adults to make unique art creations while in the comfort of an old time school bus. Come and check out the Vancouver Farmers Market table - we'll be have a sneak preview of our heirloom tomato display that will officially be featured at the East Vancouver Farmers Market on Sept 11 for our Tomato Festival!

The Cultch Community Square Dance is sponsored by the Co-Operative Auto Network with support form the Vancouver Farmers Market, Clubcard and the Art Express.