NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK is AUGUST 7-13, 2011
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE AT THE FRENCH MARKET!
- Experience the new “French Market Fare” cooking demonstration stage with daily presentations, kicking off with Chef Leah Chase on Sunday August 7th @ 2:00 p.m. See full cooking demo schedule below.
Picture courtesy of HNOC - New Orleans French Market
- Learn about our new fresh food partnerships on August 8th at 9:00 a.m. at our “Farmers Market Week: Back to School!” press conference featuring Louisiana Dept of Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain.
- Throughout the week, enjoy live lunchtime music and lunch specials at our Farmers Market eateries (See music schedule and full list of vendors below).
- Shop for fresh produce and seafood at our daily produce stands “French Market Produce” and “Mother Nature’s Cupboard” and the newly opened “J’s Seafood Dock”, offering fresh catches of the day, curbside pickup, and shipping nationwide.
(New Orleans, LA—August 2, 2011)—The historic French Market is joining forces with agriculture and food industry giants—Louisiana State University Department of Agriculture’s Market Maker and Sodexo, the leader provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the United States and Canada—to bring more fresh food distribution and availability to the French Quarter and the City of New Orleans.
Fresh Produce
United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has proclaimed August 7-13, 2011 as National Farmers Market Week. This year marks the 12th annual National Farmers Market Week. Since 2000, the number of farmers markets has grown 150%, from 2,863 markets to 7,175 in 2011. These numbers continue to rise as farmers markets become fresh food mainstays for shoppers across all socio-economic, political, and ethnic ranges.
Farmers markets bolster local economies, improve community health, and bring diverse groups of people together through a shared social space. –Farmers Market Coalition.org
In celebration, the French Market is offering free daily cooking demonstrations (11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) and live music (daily at noontime) at our new “French Market Fare” stage. Our “NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK-BACK TO SCHOOL!” press conference featuring LA Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain and foodways partners mentioned above will be held Monday August 8th at 9:00 a.m. Contact Amy at akirk@frenchmarket.org for more information on this and all of the above mentioned festivities, as well as additional photographs of the newly renovated Farmers Market and new vendors.
Press Quotes:
“At one time the French Market was Louisiana’s food distribution hub for our commodities. It’s great to see the effort that is currently underway to restore this culturally important location to its historical significance. ”
–Commissioner Mike Str
ain, Louisiana Department of Agriculture
“The USDA Marketing Services grant is providing funds to the LSU Ag Center to survey school lunch directors to determine demand for locally produced agricultural and fishery products and identify the policies for purchasing products for use in school lunch programs. Local producers will receive training on the use of Louisiana MarketMaker and other resources that will help them identify new institutional and direct marketing opportunities. This survey is part of the national fresh food initiative and the new nutritional school lunch guidelines.”
–Pam Hodson, LSU Ag Center, Market Maker
“Sodexo is proud to be part of the New Orleans and Louisiana community. With our many local partners– most notably, Pigeon Caterers–we are excited to provide local produce, local products, and local cuisine to our students. We are always looking for new ways to incorporate fresh Louisiana produce and special Louisiana “Value-Added” products into our nutritious menus. We look forward to working with LSU AgCenter and the French Market to bring our students healthy meals while supporting the local community.”
–Tony Buscemi, District Manager, Sodexo School Services
“The French Market has served generations of New Orleanians with fresh, local food and fond memories of making groceries. While we have grown and changed with the times, we look forward to returning to our roots by offering the public more fresh options. Our partnerships with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Sodexo are promising to help us reach this goal, and we look forward to continuing to find ways to welcome farmers and fishermen back to the Market to sell, promote, and sustain our Louisiana cuisine.”
–French Market Corporation Executive Director Frank Pizzolato
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade & Limeade!
NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK EVENT SCHEDULE August 7-13th
All events take place at the new “French Market Fare” Cooking Presentation stage in the Farmers Market, midway between Ursulines and Gov Nicholls Streets under the Farmers Market shed.
Sunday August 7th
****11 a.m. to 6 p.m. “J’s Seafood Dock” GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION with giveaways, raffles, seafood specials, and more!******Visit them in between Organic Banana and Cajun Café at the Market and get free insulated “to-go” bags, t-shirts and more!********
11:30-11:50 a.m. J’s Seafood Dock cooking demonstration
12 noon Acoustic music by Patrick Cooper
2:00 p.m. “French Market Fare”: The legendary Leah Chase is interviewed by Southern Food and Beverage Museum president Liz Williams
Monday August 8th
9:00 a.m. National Farmers Market Week Press Conference featuring Mike Strain, LA Commissioner of Agriculture, representatives from Louisiana State University Dept of Agriculture, Sodexo, and French Market Corporation Executive Director Frank Pizzolato
11:30 a.m. Sodexo–Pigeon Catering cooking demonstration
12 noon Solo jazz trumpet with J Bradley Stauffer
1:30 p.m. Shannon Gonsoulin, Gonsoulin Land and Cattle, New Iberia, Louisiana presents on the benefits of “grass fed beef”
Tuesday August 9th
11:30 a.m. World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium cooking demonstration
12 noon Sebastian plays smooth jazz
1:3 p.m. J’s Seafood Dock demo
Wednesday August 10th
11:30 a.m. Cajun Café at the Market
12 noon Acoustic blues with Lynn Drury
1:30 p.m. . World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium
Thursday August 11th
11:30 a.m. J’s Seafood Dock cooking demonstration
12 noon Jazz by the Christina Perez Trio
1:30 p.m. World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium cooking demonstration
Friday August 12th
11:30 a.m. Cajun Café at the Market cooking demonstration
12 noon Shotgun Jazz Band plays trad jazz
1:30 p.m. . World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium cooking demonstration
Saturday August 13th
11:30 a.m. Meals from the Heart Café presentation
12 noon Solo saxophone with Darryl Adams of Tornado Brass Band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band
1:30 p.m. . World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium cooking demonstration
DAILY FARMERS MARKET VENDORS open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Alberto’s Gourmet Wine and Cheese—Cheese plates, salads and sandwiches
Cajun Café at the Market—Classic Cajun dishes
French Market Produce—Fresh and dried fruits, nuts, fresh lemonade
Loretta’s Pralines—Muffins, cookies, pies, made fresh daily
Meals from the Heart Café—Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly
Mother Nature’s Cupboard—Fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade jams and jellies
Organic Banana—****Recently voted “Best Rum Drink in the City” by New Orleans Rum for their Pina Colada***
World Famous N’Awlins Café and Spice Emporium—Classic Creole cooking, plus a full spice store
