Market Notes

It’s back!!  3rd annual TBFM monthly basket draw begins now, August 2018

GROUND RULES:
Spend $20** or more each market day you are eligible to enter the monthly draw for a basket full of market goodies donated by our vendors.   You could enter up to 4 times in a month! Wow. **Alternatively, purchase a set ($20) of our buttons makes  you eligible to enter too!

The vendor you spend over $20 with will supply an entry slip to eligible customers. Next, clearly write your email address on the back, fold and place it in the entry box at the organizers tent. If the vendor has overlooked a slip for you, because they do get busy, come on over to the organizers tent for one. If your $20+ spending is shared over a few vendors, not to worry, one of our trusted volunteers will ‘eyeball’ your market shop to verify.

The draws will happen on the last Tuesday of month except for October. Draw dates; Aug. 28, Sept 25 and Oct. 23. 

IMPORTANT: By entering the Monthly Basket Draw contest, the winner(s) agree to a pre-arranged pick up time of basket the following market day of the monthly draw date. Baskets will be pre-filled just prior to arrival (so it’s all fresh!) with market goodies by management and must be accepted as presented.

Oh, in addition to keeping the cool basket, the prize also includes a re-useable Greenbelt cloth shopping bag AND a full set of 5 tbfm buttons. ($20 value right there!)

Thank you! Now you’ve got some shopping incentive….if you needed any 😉

The market tries to do our bit by contributing to reducing and reusing.  It’s also up to us, as individuals to do our part.  A practice that many customers do is very simple and easy to adapt, especially if you come every week. Those little baskets, paper and plastic, that your soft fruits etc. used for the safe travel home, bring them back each week and return to the vendor – they do reuse them.  Better yet bring your own re-useable container to take our goodies home in.  A few of our vendors are using high quality paper bags that can easily be used multiple times before they have to be recycled.  Don’t forget about reusable shopping bags to use to bring the market haul home in too!  It’s all very doable and imagine if EVERYONE incorporated this practice into their lifestyles.

Our #buttonup fundraising campaign continues. 4 bucks gets  you a reusable bag and an awesome tbfm original illustration by @veetronic ! If you forget your reusable bag, purchasing help your ‘waste less living’ and directly supports market operations! Win/Win!  Alternatively, we continue with our take a bag/leave a bag free program too! Also follow Sophi of @yourecofriend who as some amazing tips on how to live waste less.  Let’s not be wasters, or waste our lives away or…well there’s too many silly waster jokes so I’ll stop right now 😉 ta.

Only 4 bucks (2 toonies*) gets you one of these ‘retro’ agricultural buttons. AND receive a FREE re-useable GreenBelt cloth bag –  while supplies last. *Exact change please & thank you 😉

Presenting a Special Edition Limited Series of 5 original illustrations by artist @veetronic that have been designed specifically for us. Market operations run lean and in order to buffer our initiatives financially, we’ve come up with this fun fundraiser that we hope you’ll all embrace and contribute to!  

The Farmer, Bee, Cow, Kale, Asparagus were illustrated & designed by Veronica Park, who had won our postcard design contest in 2015. She now generously volunteers her time for our seasonal illustration needs.  Wonderful artist to work with. We love her work. Thank you Veronica!

Huge thank you to Greenbelt Foundation and the Greenbelt Farmers Market Network  for supporting and being a friend to farmers markets and farmers. And having these lovely re-useable bags available to FM’s to utilizes as we see fit.  Now that’s helpful and very cool. Continue the good work you do!

The weather has been fairly cooperative this past first month of the season – knock on wood.  Rest assured that we are up there rain or shine every Tuesday from 3-7pm, no earlier/no later.  No sales before 3pm.   It’s the time to Eat Fresh, Eat Local and Eat Well.  We hope that our vendors can help you with this approach.  Navigate around our new website, all the purveyors have a page and direct links to their sites. So very easy to connect with them directly.

Take a Bag/Leave a Bag program is on going.  We are always accepting reuseable bags (paper handled are okay too)  for the program.  Please ensure the are CLEAN and free of pet hair residue for our allergen friends. Our supply varies, so we can always use some. Please donate to the program!  Let’s lower our use of plastic bags!  Reusing is the first ‘R’.

It was perfect opening day. The sun was shining and warm. Here’s a sweet link from Shu Nakamoto who came to play his handpan.  It’s a soft launch and optional attendance for vendors and a tad early for most of our farmers. It’s been a cool spring and the fields are a little behind. But the positive energy and the wonderful music filled in nicely.

Thank you all our loyal and new patrons for the warm welcome back into your shopping routine and lives.  Winter didn’t seem so long now did it? 😉  The following weeks more of our vendors will be showing up with their delicious, local product.  And as the growing happens, more stuff shows up on their tables. Yes!  Follow us on twitter (feed is on the home page) for on the day news and for rotating vendors.

Please remember to bring your re-useable shopping bag.  Please donate to our leave/take a bag program.  Only clean ones please.