About the Market

Open Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
from April through October
at Town Hall Park in Historic Downtown Smithfield

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Closed Saturday, August 27

The Smithfield Farmers Market will unfortunately be closed on Saturday, August 27 due to Hurricane Irene. The market will be open on Friday, August 26. We appreciate all of your support and hope that everyone stays safe this weekend!

Monday, August 22, 2011

You Don't Have to Eat Like a Rabbit to Get Your Vegetables!

For many home cooks, it can seem difficult to incorporate the recommended daily servings of vegetables into meals without preparing the same old, boring foods. And you don't have to eat like a rabbit either!

Here are some simple ways to freshen up the food you already eat by adding vegetables to every meal of the day:

Breakfast
  • In a bit of olive oil, sauté onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic for a few minutes and then add your eggs or tofu and spinach leaves for a healthier scramble.
  • Add cubed pumpkin or butternut squash to your morning hot cereal. Pureed pumpkin is fine as well. Sprinkle with nuts, seeds and cinnamon.
  • Add a handful of leafy greens to your morning smoothie.
  • Cooked chopped kale, peppers and onions in some water in a saucepan and after it's softened, crack an egg in the center. Cover to poach the egg until it is done to your liking.
  • Add shredded zucchini to your next muffin recipe.
  • Add pureed pumpkin or other winter squash to your pancake batter in lieu of some of the fat. Less fat, more veggies!

Lunch
  • On your next sandwich or wrap, add some grated carrots and zucchini, sprouts and lettuce. All of them, not just one of them.
  • Add pureed peas to your next guacamole recipe.
  • Steam the stems of the broccoli, puree and add to hummus to guacamole. Brocomoli!
  • Add grated carrots and slices of cooked butternut squash to your next grilled-cheese sandwich.
  • Add minced red peppers, celery, red onion and shredded carrots to your next tuna salad recipe.
  • A big green salad for lunch is an easy way to add more veggies to your life. Go light on the high-fat salad dressing.
  • Add some spinach leaves to your homemade hummus or place store-bought hummus in your blender and add spinach leaves yourself.

Snacks
  • For a snack try sliced jicama with salsa. Also good is jicama rubbed with lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder.
  • On Sundays and Wednesdays, you and your kids, if you have them, slice/chop carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and any and all other seasonal vegetables. If they're easy to grab, you'll eat them!

Dinner
  • Start your meal with veggie slices as an appetizer. Try cutting the carrot sticks into little rounds instead of slices, red peppers into squares, etc. It's a fun little change that kids especially like. Serve with your favorite dip if you like.
  • Try to have half of your dinner plate as veggies; some cooked, some raw.
  • Marinara sauce used for pasta or pizza is an easy way to add more veggies -- shredded zucchini, finely chopped broccoli, chopped spinach leaves, red peppers, onions and garlic. Yum!
  • Add peas, chopped broccoli, and grated carrots to your next macaroni and cheese recipe.
  • A meat loaf is an easy way to add more veggies to your life. Finely chop and add red pepper, onions, celery, carrots and any other favorite veggie.
  • Next time you make a pot roast or stew think: Veggies and Pot Roast, not Pot Roast and veggies. Ditto for stews-heavy on the veggies, light on the meat.
As always, please send recipes you would like to share to smithfieldfarmersmarketrecipes@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Smithfield Farmers Market Celebrates National Farmers Market Week

Every day this summer, communities are converging to celebrate a simple miracle: farmers, as stewards of rural America, coming together to share a harvest that’s feeding local families. The result? More viable regional economies; increased access to fresh, nutritious food; and stronger social networks that help keep communities strong.

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. North Carolina is home to 217 farmers markets.

In its first year of operation, the Smithfield Farmers Market currently has 20 farmers selling a wide variety of products, including sweet potatoes, melons, peaches, corn, eggs, beans and value added products such as soaps, jams and jellies. In the past four months, the Smithfield Farmers Market has generated $20,000 for these local producers, a valuable economic boost for the region.

“The farmers market has had a great first season,” states Laura Crumpler, Market Manager. “The committee is pleased with the market’s success and discussions about what can be improved for next year have already begun.”

“Farmers markets grow healthy farms, healthy people, and healthy communities” says Stacy Miller, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “During a slow economic recovery, farmers markets are stand-out successes in delivering triple bottom line benefits while making entrepreneurship work in communities large and small. During Farmers Market Week, we invite everyone to celebrate their local farmers markets and enjoy fresh local food from America’s most innovative farmers.”

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Top 10 Ways to Get Kids Involved in Healthy Cooking & Shopping

Involving your kids in the kitchen enhances their appreciation and basic knowledge of different foods and good nutrition. You can teach them safe ways to handle food as well as simple cooking techniques. Plus, the time spent together is invaluable family time and encourages a lifetime of healthy eating.

How Can Kids Help?

10. Mean Green Cleaning Machine. Let them wash fruits and vegetables when preparing for cooking or eating.

9. Pick A Peck! When shopping, let them select a new fruit or vegetable to try … or several!

8. Make It Snappy! Let them snap the green beans, snap peas, or break the florets from the broccoli or cauliflower.

7. I Spy. Play “I Spy” when shopping for produce.

6. Tear It Up! Let them tear the lettuce for salads and sandwiches.

5. Measure Up! Let them measure the frozen vegetables before cooking them.

4. Peel & Slice. Older children can peel and slice carrots, cucumbers, potatoes … the list goes on!

3. Stir & Spice. Make applesauce from fresh apples. Let them help stir and add the cinnamon.

2. A Sprinkle A Day… Let them sprinkle herbs or other seasonings onto vegetables.

1. Monster Mash! Pull out the potato masher!

As always, please send recipes you would like to share to smithfieldfarmersmarketrecipes@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

August 3 is National Watermelon Day!

If you need a reason to enjoy a slice of watermelon, today is National Watermelon Day!

Did you know:
  • At over 90 percent water, watermelon is a wise snack choice on hot days?
  • Watermelon is a nutritional powerhouse? It's an excellent source of Vitamin C, which
    is a major antioxidant. It has a high beta carotene concentration, thus offering a fair amount of vitamin A. Both beta carotene with vitamin A help support good eyesight and prevent glaucoma.
  • Why the meat or pulp of watermelon is usually pink or red? Those colors indicate lycopene content, which is an antioxidant that may minimize cancer risks. Plus, watermelon offers abundant amounts of the minerals potassium and magnesium. Potassium is important for cardiovascular health and brain health and helps the kidneys eliminate kidney stone forming calcium as well as assists with the body's fluid retention.
A fun fact about watermelon is about a half century ago, watermelons were round. This shape made them very hard to stack and they rolled around during the rough ride from farm to market. They were also soft. All the bumping and rolling made them crack and bruise. During this time, a plant bree
A fun fact about watermelon is about half a century ago,
der named C. Fred Andrus set out to develop a better watermelon. He came up with the first sweet melon that could be stacked due to its oblong shape. This new breed of watermelon also resisted the most serious watermelon diseases of the day. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, there are more than 1,200 varieties of watermelon grown worldwide.

Try a new twist on an old favorite with these ideas:
  • Caramelize watermelon slices on the grill, then drizzle with honey, lime and a pinch of salt.
  • Pair with shrimp on a kabob.
  • Carve out a watermelon to use as a bowl. Fill with fruit salad.
  • Use watermelon in place of tomatoes in a citrus salsa.
  • Use its juice as a glaze on shrimp or pork.
Of course, watermelon is also a crowd pleaser “as is.” Slice it up and you have an instant appetizer, side dish or dessert.

Enjoy! As always, please send recipes you would like to share to smithfieldfarmersmarketrecipes@gmail.com.