Purcellville Community Market
We've got strawberries!
How many years in a row have I told myself that there is nowhere prettier than Virginia in the spring? It is so true….And never more so has Virginia been beautiful than after this winter – an especially cruel, cold, long winter! But I have a feeling that the long-awaited spring is truly here and I hope that you feel as light and hopeful as I do that this spring will be an especially sweet and renewing one!
I picked up this quarter’s issue of flavor magazine and read the message from the publisher, Melissa Harris. They are celebrating their third anniversary and she wrote something so compelling and so well written, I had to share it with you…..here’s an excerpt…
“We started out with an idea: to tell the rich stories of the farmers, winemakers, and food artisans in the Piedmont region of Virginia.”
“But the real story was so much larger, so much more compelling and important than we ever imagined. We quickly realized that we are living in the middle of a “food-shed” — inter-dependent urban and rural regions that need each other, desperately.
“The story goes like this: There are rural areas where food grows, and there are densely populated urban areas where people live, and if the people in the urban areas can be made aware of the amazing food being grown so close by, and support the farmers growing it, several things will happen: We will all have better access to clean, wholesome food grown with integrity and without worry about food contamination, poisoning, and shortages. Gas prices won’t affect our food prices because our food comes from right down the road. And we will spur economic growth in both our cities and our green, wide-open spaces.”
“When we use our wallets to vote for the things we want, we instantly create change. Farmers markets are thriving all over, new wineries are opening monthly and selling out their vintages, more and more restaurants are sourcing locally, and CSAs are oversubscribed. People want what farmers are offering.”
Hi Claudine and Tim!
Wow….gotta love that magazine! Loudoun County is one of those special places that has all that and more going on in a microcosm. Part of “Our County” has somewhat dense urban centers and part has some of the prettiest, most fertile farmland (hello Loudoun County Loam) that produce some of the best foods you can buy anywhere. So don’t forget our market, Purcellville Community Market, as well as all Loudoun farmers markets and all the other farms, wineries, and CSA’s where you can buy great tasting, ethically produced foods while supporting your local economy by keeping your dollars right here at home and treating yourself with the love and respect you deserve by feeding your awesome body the best rocket fuel ever…. Now that was a mouthful!
Next week is Purcellville Heritage Day. NOTE: We will be moving the market to Fireman’s Field that day, near the Tabernacle. Same hours…only vendors will stay until they run out of goods or drop from sheer exhaustion:
Join the Town of Purcellville in this day long celebration of our town’s rich history! Start the day with a ride on our hay wagon from the parking lot under the old oaks, pick up a homemade muffin and fresh coffee from our farmers market, or take a guided historic walking tour. Stroll over to our wine garden for a taste of Virginia’s finest and enjoy live, local music by the gazebo with performances scheduled throughout the day. Play an old fashioned game at the carnival or tour the Civil War encampment. The day ends at the Bush Tabernacle with a special debut of “The Last Hardware Store,” a documentary film featuring Purcellville’s own Nichol’s Hardware Store.
It will be a bit of a test since the Town Hall has been purchased; we will likely lose our sweet spot come November and this is one of the places we are considering moving…let us know what you think. Anyway, Heritage Day is quite the event and we hope you come out and enjoy it.
WARNING: Don’t forget, this week I will be bugging everybody to donate to the Purcellville Community Market’s grass roots effort to raise funds to finish The Last Hardware Store, a beautifl documentary about one of our hometown treasures, Nichol’s Hardware. If you didn’t read last week’s market e-mail where I made a compelling case as to why donating to the completion of this movie is a GREAT IDEA, or you just want to refresh your memory, click here! Thanks to those of you who have already donated!!
Here’s who is at the market this week.
Singing Frog Farms
Community Gardens
What’s for Dinner Now
Harvest Market DC
Millstone Bakers
Cornerstone Bakery
Gonzales Produce
Lothar’s Gourmet Sausages
Holy Cow Delivery
Liberty Hill Farms
Betty’s Salsa and Chips
Hondo’s Coffee and Pickles, etc!
Magnolia Girls
Liz Handcrafted Soaps
Wildwood Hickory Syrup
North Gate Winery – Possibly…not 100% sure yet!
Not here this week…
Everona Dairy
Fabbioli Cellars
Herban Avenues
As the weather warms up, not only are our vegetables growing quickly, but so are the weeds! Before pulling them out, consider looking to them to understand the state of your soil. Remember that soil is your everything, take care of it, and it will take care of your plants. Find out more See a full list of weeds and associated soil conditions.
If you are looking for a support for your beans or tomatoes, consider using my BAMBOO TEEPEES. Contact me if interested and I will get them to the market for pickup!
‘Linna the Locavore’
Motivational Garden Speaker & Teacher
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudoun_locavores
We really appreciate your support and hope that we have been a positive influence in your lives beyond providing great, healthy food for you and your families. Check out our website at www.purcellvillecommunitymarket.com, our info on www.loudounfarms.org and on facebook, where we post pictures of happy customers and vendors almost every week! Check the market table for all kinds of info, cookbooks, recipes, community events, local businesses, and health information.
Don’t forget to try to remember to bring your Purcellville Green and Buy Fresh, Buy Local shopping bags…
So come out on Saturday, try all of our samples, purchase some GREAT, HEALTHY, LOCAL foods, have a chat with your faithful vendors, happy neighbors, and enlightened folks from other communities and sip some fresh coffee and have a bite to eat. We will be there from 10 am to 1 pm at the Town Hall parking lot in beautiful, downtown Purcellville. Just look for the Howitzer on the Purcellville Gunshop’s lawn..on the cornor of Hatcher and Main…it’s pointin’ right at us!
Enjoy!
Juanita Tool
703.967.0431
