Month: May 2019

May 31, 2019

Eat the rainbow at the market on Saturday, June 1!

School’s almost out and we’re all looking forward to summer adventures. Our favorite spring produce will only be around for a little while longer so savor the flavors of this special time of the year before new produce starts arriving in the upcoming weeks. We challenge you to make a salad with only ingredients from the farmers’ market this week. With so many veggies to choose from, this will be easy! And you can still sweeten up your salad with some of the last strawberries of the season!

Running of the Bulls 8K Race

The 11th annual Running of the Bulls 8K is happening THIS Saturday, June 1. This is an 8-kilometer road race that starts at 7:15 am on Foster Street and Seminary near the Durham Farmers’ Market and finishes with a lap of the warning track inside the historic Durham Athletic Park. A course map that details all roads that will be impacted can be found here.

There will be some road closures and delays along the race course that will occur between 7:15-8:20 am on Saturday, June 1. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience that this may cause and hope that this will allow you to plan in advance if you need to reach Durham Central Park that morning. There is a 15 minute per mile time limit for participants, and the anticipated time-of-use for impacted roadways is detailed below.

Thank you, in advance, for your understanding and support. If there are any questions, please contact us.

Anticipated Time-of-Use for Impacted Roadways

Start Area: Foster St. and Seminary St. (6:00-7:20AM)
Mile 1: Main St to Buchanan Blvd (7:15-7:30AM)
Mile 2: Buchanan Blvd to Watt St. & Trinity Ave (7:20-7:45AM)
Mile 3: Trinity Ave to Washington St & Morris St (7:25-8:00AM)
Mile 4: Morris St to Downtown & Ramseur St (7:30-8:15AM)
Mile 5: Downtown & Main St to Morris St. & Corporation St. (7:35-8:30AM)

Upcoming Events

Saturday, June 15

Chat with the Master Gardeners from 8 am-noon.

Wednesdays: June 19 through August 14

Calling all kiddos! Join us every Wednesday afternoon for the Sprouts Kid’s Club. After you complete a free activity, you’ll earn $3 in Sprouts Club Bucks to spend on fresh fruits and veggies. We can’t wait to see you at the market!

Saturday, July 13

Mark your calendars for Tomato Day – it’s always one of the highlights of our year!

Want to learn more?

Read the rest of the May 31, 2019 newsletter or sign up to receive the next newsletter in your inbox.

May 17, 2019

Join us for a flower arranging workshop & chat with the Master Gardeners on Saturday, May 18!

Spring is in full bloom at the market and there’s something new and exciting every week! Tomorrow cauliflower will make an appearance, along with an increased quantity of cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini. Sugar snap peas are growing strong, as are strawberries. It’s getting easier and easier to eat the rainbow during this colorful time of the year. So grab your water bottle and sun hat and make plans to spend time with your favorite local food producers tomorrow morning!

And if the seasonal local produce wasn’t exciting enough, we’re looking forward to hosting a special event tomorrow with the team from West Point on the Eno. Register for their flower arranging workshop and go home with a beautiful arrangement for your home or to give to a friend.

Don’t forget that the team of Master Gardeners will be at the market tomorrow to answer your toughest plant questions. We’re so grateful to have them share their expertise with our market community!

Finally, join Blue Point Yoga Center for a fun morning of free yoga every Saturday. Class begins at 9:00 am and will take place in the lawn adjacent to the Brannan. Remember to bring your yoga mat and a water bottle. For more information, visit Durham Central Park’s website.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 25

Join our friends from the Living Arts Collective for a Community Dance Wave on the lawn at 10:30 am.

Saturday, June 1

The 11th Annual Running of the Bulls 8K will take place around the market. If you’re an early shopper, give yourself extra time to get to Durham Central Park because several roads around downtown will be closed during the race.

Saturday, July 13

Mark your calendars for Tomato Day – it’s always one of the highlights of our year!

Want to learn more?

Read the rest of the May 18, 2019 newsletter or sign up to receive the next newsletter in your inbox.

May 10, 2019

Celebrate moms & grads at the market on Saturday, May 11!

This is one of our favorite weekends of the year in Durham! Not only are we celebrating moms, but we also get to share in the joy of everyone who is graduating. Let’s face it, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the mother figures in our lives. Be sure to show them how much you love them with a local meal or gift from the farmers’ market. And if you’re lucky enough to celebrate a college grad this weekend, make sure you share the tastiest local treats with them.

Still looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift (in addition to the beautiful flowers, chocolate, cards, crafts and more that you’ll pick up at the market)? Farmer Foodshare has you covered! Help another mother in our Durham community provide fresh, local, nutritious food for their family. Nothing’s sweeter than that! Visit Farmer Foodshare’s booth (near the market’s Info Table) for more details and to make a donation in honor of your mother.

Also, don’t forget to join Blue Point Yoga Center for a fun morning of free yoga and community in Durham Central Park every Saturday. Class begins at 9:00 am and will take place in the lawn adjacent to the Brannan. Remember to bring your yoga mat and a water bottle. For more information, visit Durham Central Park’s website.

Finally, we hope you enjoyed the Protein Palooza last weekend! We want to give a huge THANK YOU to the local chefs that whipped up the delicious samples featuring meat and produce from our vendors:

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 18

Join the team from West Point on the Eno for a flower arranging workshop at 8:30 am.

Saturday, May 25

Join our friends from the Living Arts Collective for a Community Dance Wave on the lawn at 10:30 am.

Saturday, June 1

The 11th Annual Running of the Bulls 8K will take place around the market. If you’re an early shopper, give yourself extra time to get to Durham Central Park because several roads around downtown will be closed during the race.

Saturday, July 13

Mark your calendars for Tomato Day – it’s always one of the highlights of our year!

Want to learn more?

Read the rest of the May 10, 2019 newsletter or sign up to receive the next newsletter in your inbox.

May 8, 2019

Join us every Wednesday from 3-6 pm & Saturday from 8 am-Noon!

One of the most exciting aspects of shopping at a local farmer’s market is the anticipation seasonal produce. All year long we are able to celebrate the arrival of delicious and unique foods that are not available all the time the way they are in a typical grocery store. The freshness and quality of this produce is undeniable, and shoppers have the opportunity to ask questions to the very farmers who have planted, grown, and harvested it!

Speaking of seasons, spring is here and is one of my favorite times at the market. The air is getting warmer, everything is becoming greener, and we start seeing produce that is only available for a short period every year. Here is a list of some of the great, can’t-miss produce at the market during springtime.

Asparagus: Asparagus can be found at the market from mid March- April depending on weather. It’s one of the three common vegetables in North America that comes from a perennial plant, including rhubarb and artichokes. Amazingly, asparagus spears can grow up to 6 inches or more in one day. This spring favorite can be prepared many ways, but we recommend simply marinating the spears in olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper and grilling for about 5 minutes, making sure to turn the spears every minute or two!

Strawberries: Strawberries are heralded as the first fruit of spring, and are available at the market April- early June, depending on weather. Did you know what they are the only fruit that has its seeds on the outside? For this reason, botanists consider each strawberry seed be its own individual fruit. If you like to rinse strawberries, be sure to wait until right before you plan to eat them. They will keep much longer if they are stored this way. Also, if you know you will eat your strawberries in a day or two, they will be more flavorful left out on the counter than they are after they’ve been in the fridge!

Rhubarb: It is no coincidence that rhubarb is a popular addition to strawberry desserts because they have a very similar growing season and are available at the market at the same time of year. Field-grown rhubarb’s peak season is April and May, and again this always depends on what the weather is like. Be sure to remember that only the stalks of the rhubarb are edible, and the leaves are toxic to humans. Rhubarb stalks can be eaten raw, but also can be used nicely to enhance the flavor of other fruits. It is delicious in pies, cakes, sauces, jams, and more.

Other incredible spring produce available this time of year includes radishes, leeks, arugula, artichokes, snow peas and pea shoots, salad turnips, fennel, bok choy, and broccoli, to name a few!

With our full season hours in swing, you now have more flexibility to find this produce every week. Visit the market on Saturday mornings from 8:00 am-Noon, and on Wednesday afternoons from 3:00-6:00 pm. See you soon!