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2012 Westcliffe Farmers Market Kick-Off BBQ

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It’s that time again! Thursday, June 14th, 2012 is the Annual Westcliffe Farmers Market kick-off BBQ. Festivities begin at 2:00 p.m, and continue through the day until 5:30 p.m. The market continues to grow and this year is no exception. Several new vendors have registered to offer their skills or trade “for sale”.
Marian’s Gourmet will be grilling up Sangre’s burgers and hot dogs, sandwiched between homemade buns from your local bakery. Bring a chair, sit in the park, enjoy the festivities, shop, browse and listen for the Free Range Chickens as they entertain the masses.
New to this years market is the Double Bucks program and don’t forget you can also use your EBT card. Stop by the Farmer’s Market Information booth for more on the programs.
If you have joined the Farm Fresh Buyers Club and need to pick up your order, stop by the red tent. Be sure to bring your reusable shopping bag along for all those purchases.  If you’d like to register for the Farm Fresh Buyers Club program, click on the link at the top of this page.

Vendors can set up beginning at 1:00 p.m.  Please move your vehicles from the front of the market after unpacking your goods.  Parking is available in the alley behind the market and along the side streets.

For those residents getting off work later in the afternoon the market is open until 5:30 p.m.

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Got weeds?

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By Kristie Nackord

Weeds. We spend countless hours attempting to remove these pesky plants from our yards, gardens or fields, but isn’t it funny how they seem to persevere?

Perhaps we should look at weeds in a new light — some are in fact among the most wholesome sources of food and medicine available to us. Knowing this might stop us dead in our weed-stalking tracks!

Below I’ve listed three types of rascally weeds and some of their nutritional and medicinal uses. Each type offers much more than what I’ve shared here, so I encourage you to look them up in your favorite herb or botanical book and learn more. Please note, if you have sprayed them or if they have been in close proximity to a road where they have been exposed to car exhaust and fumes, then please do not consume! Please also be sure to positively identify the plant before consuming.

  • Lambs-Quarter (Chenopodium album): More nutritious than spinach, grab this delicious green before it goes to seed as it will become bitter. Offering a slightly nutty flavor, you can add it to your pesto, make a tincture with it, or add it to your salad mix. It is loaded with calcium and iron, as well as vitamins A and C, and other delightful and essential nutrients.
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Besides making wishes with the seed heads, dandelion leaf and root is very supportive for cleansing your liver and gall bladder and ridding your body of any unwanted toxins. Slightly diuretic, dandelion is also very nutritious and tastes delicious in salads or your favorite herbal tea.
  • Plantain (Plantago major): a very low-growing perennial weed, plantain leaves are edible and can be enjoyed steamed, in your salad, or brewed into tea. The leaves get bitter as the plant matures, so grab the early shoots for your calcium and other essential vitamins. Plantain is also fantastic for treating any skin disorders such as mosquito bites, cuts and irritations. Crush the leaves between your fingers and rub the juice from the leaves over the injured area.

If you are interested in learning more about these weeds or other herbs and their uses, stop by the Westcliffe Farmers Market every Thursday from 2-5 p.m. where herbalists selling products that include some of our favorite weeds can share more with you.

Put your money where your heart is!

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Farmers Market Frequent Shopper Reward Program

The 2011 Westcliffe Farmers Market kicks off next week with a brand new frequent shopper reward program. Spend $100 or more at the market and receive a FREE farmers market tote bag. It’s easy to participate! Simply stop in at the welcome booth at the Farmers Market any Thursday between 2-5 p.m. and pick up your reward card. Each time you make a purchase at the market your reward card will be updated accordingly until you reach the $100 mark when you will receive a new Westcliffe Farmers Market tote bag! Want the bag but don’t want to bother with the rewards program? No problem, we will have tote bags for sale, too! See you at the market!