Market Dinner Delicious Success

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A Banquet to Behold:  Mercer Island Farmers Market Celebrates Successful Fundraising Dinner as It Readies for Fifth Season

It was a fundraiser. A celebration of the coming season.  A thank you to the volunteers and contributors who make the market possible.  And after dessert, when the last dinner guests had paid for their auction items and said their goodbyes, Julie Sarkissian could only smile, sit back and marvel at the success of the evening event.  Julie is the newly-elected Chair of the Mercer Island Farmers Market Board of Directors.  “Tonight I can sleep.  We all worked so hard to make this happen.  You worry about selling tickets, getting donations for the auction, making sure the chef and restaurant have everything they need from us.  And everything worked out wonderfully well.  The dinner and auction were a great success.”

One hundred supporters and guests attended the Market’s third Annual Celebration Dinner and Silent Auction at Lilly’s Restaurant at Aljoya Sunday, May 20.  Chef Nathan Zielske prepared a sumptuous feast, showcasing products donated from the Market vendors, Aljoya and the creative talents of his Lilly’s kitchen. Flower and herb-crusted salmon on green tea soba noodle salad; chicken breast baked with pistachio breadcrumb and Frangelico sauce, kale Caesar salad…yumm!

The silent auction before dinner drew spirited bidding, particularly for a number of showcase items.  The celebrity item had to have been the week’s stay in an Oahu condo overlooking the ocean.  Other showcase items, lovingly donated by local residents and merchants, included a homemade quilt, dinners at Roanoke Inn, John Howie Steaks and Dahlia Lounge, catering by Stopsky’s, tickets for the Mariners and Seattle Philharmonic, product potpourri from All The Best and Trader Joe’s, services from Uyeta Landscaping, to name a few.

“So much bidding enthusiasm”, pronounced Carol Branom, Market Board Treasurer. “So many appealing items were donated.  We exceeded our fundraising goal!  This is a great start for the season!”

Dinner guests included: State Representative Marcie Maxwell, a dedicate Market patron; King County Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, and Mercer Island Mayor Bruce Bassett, whose wife Nannette is a Farmers Market Board Member.

This was the first public event of the Mercer Island Farmers Market for Patty Spahr, the new Market Manager.  “I am very excited to be working with these people”, she said, referring to the Board.  “So much energy and enthusiasm.  Now we turn our attention full time to Opening Day of the Market itself.  We have been planning and preparing for seven months.  Now our energy levels kick into high gear.”

Twenty-three vendors are returning from last year’s market and are being joined by 20 new vendors.

“We think our patrons will be very pleased with our product mix and with the quality of our vendors”, says Kari Fisher, Vice Chair of the Market Board.  “We survey our patrons and track what works or doesn’t work.  We attend ‘Marketing the Market’ seminars.  We want this to be our best season yet.”

The fifth season of the Mercer Island Farmers Market begins Sunday, June 10.  Market hours are 10am–3pm.  The Market is located near Mercerdale Park on 77th Avenue South and SE 32nd Street.  It will be there every Sunday through October 14, with the exceptions of July 15 and August 5.  For more information, go to the Mercer Island Farmers Market web site:  www.mifarmersmarket.org.

Opening Day is June 10, 2012

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The Mercer Island Farmers Market opens Sunday, June 10, 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m.  Join us for the freshest fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese, flowers, pastries and pastas, among other Northwest bounties.  Dance along with Melanie and Her Blue Swayed Dudes, and sample some tasty new lunch options.  Opening day chef demonstration by Chef Brock Johnson from Dahlia Lounge.

The Mercer Island Farmers Market is a 1/2 mile south of I-90 on SE 32nd Street at Mercerdale Park (between 77th and 78th Avenue SE).

See you there!

Floating 101

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Ever wondered what it would be like to volunteer at a farmers market?  Mercer Island Farmers Market only happens because of volunteers like YOU who donate a few hours of their time to set up, take down, and take on all sorts of other jobs, like floating, counting, flagging and controlling.

I used to be a flag girl in high school (officially known as color guard, which is the only thing that could possibly improve the Mercer Island High School Marching Band, but I digress), and I can count, and my children will attest to my controlling nature.  I bet I’d be a swell market volunteer! But I don’t know how to float, so I guess I’ll need to go the training. Come join me!

Volunteer Training and Information meetings are next week at the Mercer Island Library, conveniently scheduled for next Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Market experts will teach you what is required to act as a floater, a flagger, a street controller, a counter and a general booth volunteer.  (Flagging and street control need to be at least 18 years old.)  Bring your calendar, so that you can see the available openings, and sign up.  Special tasting treats for all who attend!

Questions? Contact Tanya Bednarski, tanyambednarski@gmail.com

3rd Annual MIFM Celebration Dinner

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Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.  Farmers Market Celebration Dinner.

Please join us for this special evening, a fundraiser, generously hosted by our friends at Aljoya. Come support and learn about the farmers and small business owners who deliver local, organic, fresh produce and prepared foods every week to the Mercer Island Farmers Market. You will hear about the 2012 lineup of vendors, educational events and musical entertainment as Chef Nathan Zielski tantalizes your palate with a scrumptious dinner provided by Lilly’s Restaurant at Aljoya.  Tickets are available at Eventbrite.

To purchase tickets, please click on this link: 3rd Annual MIFM Celebration Dinner

If you prefer, you can mail a check to MIFM, PO Box 71, Mercer Island, 98040.  Please indicate a meal choice for each ticket: fish, meat, or vegetarian.

If you can’t attend, please consider a donation at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SBKCAVQG2AP5L

New Look for our Blog!

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What do you think?  You like? Check out our very own Mercer Island Farmers Market logo on the masthead – love that groovy sun!

We have been working hard all winter to put together another fabulous market season for you, so please, check back often to see what’s new. To kick off our fifth season (hard to believe it’s been five years!)  the third annual Celebration Dinner will be held Sunday, May 20.

Please join us for this special evening, a fundraiser, generously hosted by our friends at Aljoya.  Come support and meet the farmers and small business owners who deliver local, organic, fresh produce and prepared foods every week to the Mercer Island Farmers Market. Learn about the 2012 lineup of vendors, educational events and musical entertainment as Chef Nathan Zielski tantalizes your palate with a scrumptious dinner provided by Lilly’s Restaurant at Aljoya.  Tickets are $50, available at Eventbrite.

To purchase tickets, please click on this link: 3rd Annual MIFM Celebration Dinner

What else would you like to see on this blog?  Let us know, because we want this to be your go-to site for all things market related.

November 20th Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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Winter squash from Hand-Farmed Organics at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on September 18, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Winter squash from Hand-Farmed Organics at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on September 18, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Our annual pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market is this Sunday, November 20th at our usual time—10 am to 3 pm—at our usual location—SE 32nd Street between 77th Avenue SE and 78th Avenue SE at the northern end of Mercerdale Park.

Most of our regular-season vendors will be be returning for this final market day of 2011.  In addition to these familiar faces, the MI Farmers Market is thrilled that our Harvest Market will also have  several new vendors including:

  • Sign announcing that the vendor will be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market's pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Sign announcing that the vendor will be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market's pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Farmboy Baking Company, Medina, WA, who are bringing homemade pies, caramel apples, cookies, and cake pops

  • Middlefork Coffee Roasters, Seattle, WA, who will be offering hot cups of brewed coffee free as well as nine different varieties of fair trade, organic arabica coffee
  • Rainer Mountain Cranberry Farm, Eatonville, WA, who are coming with their local fresh cranberries
  • Theo Dorres Aromatics, Renton, WA, who will have available hot cups of tea plus several varieties of fresh lose-leaf tea

Our market manager, Edee Philips, has been working overtime putting together the detailed list below of all of the expected vendors and the products that they are bringing to this Sunday’s Harvest Market.

  • Honey Crisp apples from Collins Family Orchards at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on September 11, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Honey Crisp apples from Collins Family Orchards at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on September 11, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Collins Family Orchard, Selah, WA are planning to bring pink lady, fuji, honey crisp, gala, jazz apples, asian, bosc, packham pears, and angelo plums

  • Crown S Ranch, Winthrop, WA, will not only be featuring fifty organic-pasture-raised heritage turkeys—perfect for everyone’s Thanksgiving feast, but will also be offering 20% off holiday roasts, stew meat, and soup bones.  In addition, Jennifer Argraves and her family will have available their sustainably raised tenderloin roast, standing rib roast and ham roast as well as chickens and heritage stewing roosters and limited cuts of beef and pork.
  • Farmboy Baking Company, Medina, WA will have fresh pumpkin pies, both ready-to-eat and “take and bake,” apple pies, berry pies, snowflake gingerbread cookies, caramel apples, caramel pretzels, and cake pops
  • Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, speaking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 21, 2011.

    Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, speaking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 21, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Farmers Market Preserve, Seattle, WA, will be featuring several Thanksgiving-themed jams and jellies, including cranberry-jalapeño jam, crabapple jelly, spiced crabapple jelly, crabapple with mint and black pepper jelly, and crabapple with star anise jelly. Rome Doherty will also have on had several fruit butters, including apple, apple with ancho-chili, pear, peach and plum. He will be have free gift boxes available for those wanting to give his delicious, locally sourced products to those unable to get them themselves. As always, Rome will be offering a dollar off of your first jar of jam if you use the secret phrase. This week’s phrase—in honor of the Harvard-Yale game—is ”Bulldog, bulldog, bow, wow, wow”

  • Fishing Vessel St. Jude, Seattle, WA, will have their justly famous locally caught tuna, including several flavors of canned tuna, sashimi-grade albacore steaks, and five flavors of albacore jerky
  • Full Circle Farm, Carnation, WA, will be offering potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery and celery root, kales, chards, greens, and winter squash
  • Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011.

    Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Got Soup, Seattle, WA, will have several cold-weather soups, including caramelized onion & apple braised cabbage, potato & leek with chantarellas, thai pumpkin with coconut, crab bisque, and asparagus with truffled marscapone

  • Hand-Farmed Organics, Fall City, WA, will have on hand many of the vegetables needed for your Thanksgiving meal, including brussel sprouts, sunchokes, potatoes, greens, kales, carrots, parsnips, squashes, pumpkins, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, and celery root
  • Farmer Kai Ottoson of Hedlin Family Farm, Mount Vernon, WA hard at work setting up tables of produce at the Mercer Island Farmers Market in 2009.

    Farmer Kai Ottoson of Hedlin Family Farm, LaConner, WA hard at work setting up tables of produce at the Mercer Island Farmers Market in 2009. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Hedlin Farm, LaConner, WA, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, basil, beets, cabbage, carrots, swiss chard, fennel, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, shallots, potatoes, spinach, winter squash. In addition to these vegetables, Hedlin will also be bringing their own certified-organic, whole wheat flour

  • Island Apiaries, Freeland, WA, will be offering honey from Whidbey Island in many flavors such as blackberry, raspberry, buckwheat, and fireweed plus  cinnamon-infused.  Be sure to stock up for the winter
  • Jacobs Creamery, Doty, WA, will be returning to the MIFM will their wonderful eggs, European-style cultured butter, crème fraîche, cheddar, gouda, italian-grating cheese, eggnog pudding (chocolate and vanilla too), cranberry pizazz (cranberry-with-orange-zest-flavored fromage blanc), herbed and original fromage blanc, and fresh natural Greek, honey Greek, and european-style yogurts
  • Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, Ellensburg, WA, will be coming to the MI Farmers Market with their greenhouse-grown, heirloom tomatoes
  • Fresh, hand-made pasta from La Pasta, Seattle, WA at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Fresh, hand-made pasta from La Pasta, Seattle, WA at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    La Pasta, Seattle, WA, will have their hand-made pastas including egg, spinach, lemon pepper, spinach, beet, tricolore, black squid ink, four-cheese ravioli, three-mushroom ravioli, pumpkin ravioli, spinach-and-roasted-garlic ravioli, and potato gnocchi

  • Martin Family Orchard, Orondo, WA, will be coming to the Harvest Market with Fuji and Gala apples, Bartlett, D’Anjou, and Hosui Asian pears
  • Middlefork Coffee Roasters, Seattle, WA, will be at the MI Farmers market with free, freshed-brewed cups of coffee to keep everyone warm and lively. They will also be selling nine varieties of fair-trade, organic, Arabica coffee beans –fair trade and organic
  • Molly Moon Ice Cream, Seattle, WA, will be back with their wonderful ice cream featuring such Thanksgiving-themed flavors as pumpkin clove, spiced cider sorbet, pear sorbet, & cranberry-ginger sorbet. Molly Moon will also have several of their usual popular flavors, including Theo chocolate, Vivace coffee, and salted caramel
  • Parfait Organic Artisan Ice Cream, Seattle, WA, will also be back with several seasonal flavors, including pumpkin spice, cinnamon stick, and toasted hazelnut, plus many of their usual favorite flavors. They will have a special sale for their pints: buy four or more pints and get for free a jar of organic dark chocolate sauce
  • The folks at Patty Pan Grill cooking up veggies at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

    The folks at Patty Pan Grill cooking up veggies at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

    Patty Pan Grill, Seattle, WA, will be cooking up their popular grilled veggie quesadillas, veggie and beef tamales (sourced from the MIFM’s Crown S Ranch)

  • Rainier Mountain Cranberry Farm, Eatonville, WA, will have the one of the key ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal: cranberries. Be sure to stop by their booth to find out about their farm and their fresh, locally grown cranberries
  • Snohomish Bakery, Snohomish, WA, will be coming to the market with their amazing artisan breads and pastries. For the holiday season they will also be bringing stollen, the traditional German Christmas cake
  • Theo Dorres Aromatics, Renton, WA, cups of hot tea, packaged loose-leaf teas blended from local certified organic ingredients, including a limited edition holiday tea & tisane gift tin, gluten-free & kosher
  • Trevani Truffles, Seattle, WA, will be at the Harvest Market with several holiday-themed treats, including egg nog and cranberry orange dark chocolate plus several other flavors of truffle including scotch & honey with turmeric, white chocolate marzipan with pistachios, classic dark chocolate, raspberry, caramel with sea salt, rosemary olive oil,  and white chocolate lemon with anise
  • Shannon's dad, Ernie, talking with a customer at the Two If By Seafoods booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011.

    Shannon's dad, Ernie, talking with a customer at the Two If By Seafoods booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Two if by Seafoods, Seattle, WA, have have on hand their Alaska-caught sockeye and coho salmon, available in fillets and steaks, as well as the most amazing smoked salmon around

  • Veraci Pizza, Seattle, WA, will be at the MI Farmers Market baking pizzas including luna rossa italian dry salami, cascioppo bros italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers on savory red sauce with our three cheese blend wild chanterelle fresh wild chanterelles, beecher’s flagship cheese on garlic olive oil with our three cheese blend
  • Willapa Hills Cheese, Doty, WA, will be offering market favorites, including Big Boy Blue, Two-Faced Blue, Pluvius, and You-Moon (pure sheep’s milk blue cheese)
  • Pizza dough being tossed at the Zaw Pizza booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Pizza dough being tossed at the Zaw Pizza booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

    Zaw Pizza, Seattle, WA, will be making from scratch, made-to-order handcrafted bake-at-home pizzas

Build Your Own Holiday Gift Basket at the Mercer Island Farmers Market’s Pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market

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Holiday gift baskets for the Mercer Island Farmers Market's pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Holiday gift baskets for the Mercer Island Farmers Market's pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

As part of the Mercer Island Farmers Market’s pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Market on Sunday, November 20th, our community will have the opportunity to build their own holiday gift baskets of local produce and artisan food products.

To encourage this, the MIFM will be offering complimentary baskets and wrapping plus a market tote bag. The supplies of baskets are limited. So be sure to come early to the Harvest Market. We open at 10 a.m.

The Harvest Market will feature many familiar farmers and vendors that will have the perfect fruits and other products for gift baskets.

In addition, the MIFM will have several new vendors at the special Harvest Market, including Theo Dorres Aromatics, Renton, WA, which will be offering their artisan tea blends.