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Mr. Wacha Xiong entertained Northside Farmers Market crowds last Sunday by playing the "Xem Xaus," a Hmong string instrument rarely heard in this country.

Photo by Jim Franck

Do you sing, play an instrument, or dance? Would you like to perform at the market on a Sunday this summer? Please contact Dale Matthews at nfmmanager@yahoo. com or 608-217-9631 if you are interested.

Advice from the Voss
photos and article by Chris Moore

One of the great things about having our own Northside Farmers Market is that you can stop by to chat directly with the people that grow the food! You can also find advice on how to grow your own plants.

If you are planning a garden, heed the advice from an NFM vendor, Mark Voss of Voss Organics, who says: "Here is my thinking about planting in the coming weeks:

Gardeners want to get long season tomatoes (80-85 days) in the ground ASAP. Mid-season tomatoes (65-75 days), peppers, tomatillos, ground cherries, and eggplants can go in the ground next week and short season tomatoes and early peppers can still be planted in mid-June. Melons and winter squash can be planted until mid-June and prefer well- warmed soils to get a good start. Cucumbers and zucchini can be planted through mid-July and should be planted every few weeks for a steady supply until frost. A fall broccoli and cabbage crop should be planted in late July for sweet heads in September and October."

This advice has been brought to you from Mark Voss of Voss Organics. Now all you need are the plants... found at ...NFM!

Making the News
by Jim Franck

Our Market made the news again this past Sunday. WMTV, Channel 15, broadcast a live interview with organizer Jim Franck about our Market at 7:10 a.m. on its "The Morning Show Weekend Live." Go to their website (link) and check out the video player on the right side of the screen. Hurry, though, the videos are changed weekly.

A number of new customers mentioned that day at the Market that the broadcast piqued their interest so they decided to check us out. Happily, they all said they were delighted with the Market and would be back. Thank you to the folks at WMTV!

Two weeks ago, WKOW-TV Channel 27, and WMSN-TV Channel 47, broadcast a series of interviews with our vendors during their weekend news shows (link). On May 19, Linda Falkenstein did a great write-up on our Market for the Isthmus Daily (link). And, on May 21, WORT-FM broadcast a great interview with Mike Jett, our vendor manager, on their "In Our Backyard" program (link). To listen to that interview, follow the link, locate the May 21 broadcast of In Our Backyard and click Play. Mike is heard about 21 minutes into the show.

Not bad, given that we're only into our fifth market week of the year! Do you see a reality show in our future?

This week at Artisans Row...
Rachael Winkley - Jewelry
Suzanne Crittenden - Jewelry
Vicki Lane - Funky Bracelets (link)
Patrick Hogan - Coin earrings
Jean Mani - Soap, lotion, candles (link)
Rebecca Hendrickson - wands, juggling balls
Weston Weber & Karly - metal, glass, and window art

Kennedy Heights Day a Success!
by Jim Franck

Kennedy Heights Sunday, held on May 31, was the NFM's first attempt to formally include one of our Northside associations into our Sunday morning Market. And Kennedy Heights set a high standard to maintain!

Lisa DuChateau, coordinator of Girls, Inc. at Kennedy Heights Community Center, and "her girls," along with kids from the After School Program and the Boys/Youth program, created tie-dyed bandanas, sets of photo greeting cards, colorful magnets, bookmarks, and other items for sale. Her group also put on a jump rope demonstration that greatly intrigued younger spectators.
 
   

Also on the fund-raising side, the women of KH and members of the Asian Outreach program, coordinated by Kanglue Yang and Kazoua Moua, cooked up 350 Hmong eggrolls. They sold out by 10:30!

The fund-raising was great but the biggest success, according to Lisa, was the reception that KH got from the community. "It reminded everyone of what we do, the talent we have, and the wonderful culture that is Kennedy Heights." Alyssa Kenney, Executive Director, was pleased enough that they'd like to repeat their appearance again next summer.

Clare Norelle, interim Director, worked closely with Dale Matthews of the NFM and spearheaded much of the work behind the scenes at KH. She had a lot of help from Lisa, True Vang, Roy LaValley, Lo Chang, Vammeej Yang and many others. It truly was an association event!

More photos of Kennedy Heights Day online! (link)

The Northside Farmers Market openly invites all Northside neighborhood groups and associations to be a part of the Market and have their own Sunday for fund-raising, to raise community awareness of who they are, and to help involve their own members in a fun and beneficial event. Please call or email Jim Franck, jfranck@charter. net or 246-2550 if you are interested.

Market Report for May 31
photos and article by Chris Moore

During last week's market, our new vendor, Keene Organics (link), sold out of 34 dozen fresh eggs by 10:30 in the morning. More are coming next week - but make sure to get there early!

The market also saw the appearance of Arugula, Cilantro, Lettuce, and Brussels Sprouts. At the market you will find great deals on potted flowers (fuchsias, petunias, etc). There isn't much time left because, as the vendor from Natalie's Garden mentioned, once the produce starts coming, there won't be room for flowers!

On the sweet side, Capital City Cookies sold out of their delicious Piña Colada bars (pineapple, toasted pecans, toasted coconut, dark chocolate), and as I heard it described by the vendor, definitely 100% not fat free. The mocha fudge bars were also very good, as well as the white chocolate chipotle bar (Wow! Zing!).

Our community neighborhood groups made their presence known including Kennedy Heights Community Center through the sale of egg rolls, art work, and much more. Vera Court was also present doing their annual fundraiser.

    

So remember, if you are looking for fresh cheese curds or some delicious Angus brats, have the need to do sidewalk art, or just want to sit down for some hot food in our community tent, come see us Sunday mornings!

                Hope to see you next week at the Market!

Ingredients
4 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced

Directions
1. In a large plastic bowl with a lid, combine arugula, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and cheese.

2. Cover, and shake to mix.

3. Divide salad onto plates and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

4. Top with slices of avocado.