People are taking notice!

photo by Erik Dunham/sofafort

We were thrilled by an email we received from Cheverly people-about-town Kate & Rob Hansen. The email included a link to a story from The Daily Dish -- 101 Best Farmer's Markets in America -- and lo and behold...Cheverly Community Market is on the list! We're #69 and very proud to be part of this group!

Also, please remember to vote for Cheverly Community Market in American Farmland Trust's I Love My Farmer's Market contest -- voting ends in just 10 days and we're currently at #22 in the United States (#1 in Maryland)...can we break into the Top 20? Your vote would certainly help!

Thinking about last weekend's Market? Show us some love!

It was a beautiful morning -- a great way to end August -- and we have the proof! We have photos on our flickr page -- we're at 10,450 photos covering the Cheverly Community Market since we started in 2008.

Don't forget...there's still time to vote for Cheverly Community Market in the American Farmland Trust 2013 I Love My Farmer's Market contest. Just pledge to spend $10 each week at the Market -- you can vote every day! We see you at the Market...show us some love!

Finally, we will no longer be placing yard signs in the public ways (our big signs will still be posted on Mondays before Markets to help you remember!) That means we need as many people as possible to host yard signs on their lawns -- if you can help us, we'd love to hear from you! Please email us your address, and we'll deliver a sign to your home and add you to our yard sign ambassador list. We have all sorts of great vendors, groups, and special events coming your way through the end of our 2013 season, and we need your help spreading the word! Thank you!

Thank you for a real community morning!

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful end-of-summer morning at Cheverly Community Market! From our vendors to our volunteers to our customers, we consider you all family. We'll be posting photos from an especially lovely morning very soon.

We want to extend a special thanks to the Prince George's Department of Health for including us in their on-site food availability survey -- they'll be with us again soon. We hear that they got a lot of great information, and it's important to boosting access to healthy food sources in our county. We also want to thank all the community groups: Chevery CERT, CPRC, St. Ambrose Men's Club's Annual Blood Drive, and Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek for their time at the Market, and Cheverly Green Infrastructure for bringing Community Forklift to us this weekend.

We hope you're enjoying all the wonderful food, flowers, and crafts that you bought at the Market...we hear there's a lot of amazing gazpacho in town today!

Finally, there's still time to vote for Cheverly Community Market in the American Farmland Trust 2013 I Love My Farmer's Market contest. Just pledge to spend $10 each week at the Market -- you can vote every day!

Who's coming to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday? The Big Lineup (August 24 edition.)

The new school year is under way (or will be very soon) for most families, and summer is quickly winding down. Join Cheverly Community Market this Saturday, 8am to noon at the Cheverly Community Center, for a great sendoff to summer living and a grand welcome to all the excitement that autumn will soon bring to us.

We're excited to share a particularly community-centric Market with you this weekend, as we host a new community group, several longtime community organizations, and a well-loved group that does work on a larger scale in and around Prince George's County. 

We're also thrilled to welcome two new vendors: a Cheverly floral designer and the state's largest winery. And while two of our favorite longtime vendors, Cheverly Breadbasket and Waltz Family Farms, will not be with us this weekend, visit your favorite vendors for the very best in locally produced food and art. Try out new flavors and some items that you haven't purchased before -- it's a great time to find new favorites.

We're also very excited about the return of our house band, Charles & Kelly (with Nathan Lorentz of Little Big Boss taking a guest turn on drums) and CPRC storytime.

VENDORS

Alcoba Coffee Beans

All in the Details Floral Designs

Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm

Cafe Ambrosia

Cakes by Ruthann

CrossKrafts

Linagnore Winecellars

Martha's Jams

Natural Nick's Produce

Natural-holic with Scents

Shlagel Farms (there's still time to order 20-lb boxes of tomatoes!)

Tasha's Cookies & Treats

Two Oceans Seafood

COMMUNITY GROUPS

Cheverly CERT

Cheverly Green Infrastructure/Community Forklift Event (in the lower parking lot)

CPRC Membership Drive

Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

St. Ambrose Men's Club Annual Blood Drive Registration

ENTERTAINMENT

Charles & Kelly (with Nathan!)

CPRC Storytime (10am under the tent near the elephant)

Finally, please join Cheverly Community Market in extending condolences to Laurie Waltz of Waltz Family Farm. Laurie's father passed away this week, and our thoughts are with her and her family at this time.

New Vendor: Linganore Winecellars

photo via Linganore Winecellars' blog

We are very excited to welcome a new winery to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday: Linganore Winecellars. According to winemaker Anthony Allen, “We provide wines for people who don’t need to be told what to like," while noting that many people prefer wines with residual sugar. "We're just a group of people up here having a lot of fun.” Sounds like our kind of people -- and our kind of wine.

Berrywine Plantations/Linganore Winecellars, the largest winery in Maryland, is a family-operated vineyard and winery nestled on 230 acres of picturesque rolling countryside, near historic New Market, Maryland. Established by Jack and Lucille Aellen in 1971, the winery opened in 1976. In 1977, Linganore Winecellars held Maryland’s first wine festival, and in 1978, they introduced the state’s first semi-sweet grape wines. Since 1982, Linagnore Winecellars' schedule has expanded to include five major festivals and more than 20 smaller indoor events throughout the year. In 1983, recognizing the growing interest in regionally produced wines, they worked to establish the first federally-designated grape growing area in Maryland, the Linganore Viticultural Area, which encompasses 90 square miles of land around the winery in the heart of Maryland. In 2011, power supplied to the winery was converted to 100% wind power, leading the winery to win 2011 Green Business of the Year, in the small to midsize business category, from the Baltimore Business Journal.

Melding German-Swiss winemaking heritage with Italian winemaking roots and always conscious of their customers' tastes, Linganore Winecellars has created a splendid variety of wines which have won over 200 medals in national and international competitions. Producing over 30 wines, ranging from stylish white and red dinner wines to elegant semi-sweet grape, fruit, and honey wines, the winery enjoys a reputation as a fun place to visit and a relaxed place to sample wines in a casual setting.

The wines are broken down into three basic categories: Dry Wines, Sweet Wines, and Fruit Wines (including the highly regarded Medieval Mead and Tej honey wines). Each major category is broken down into further subcategories so you can narrow your search. Visit Linganore Winecellars at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday and enjoy great Maryland wines!

Special message: Great deal on tomatoes from Shlagel Farms

Shlagel Farms has a mountain of tomatoes this week, and they're selling 25lb boxes (equal to 1/2 bushel) of SMALL tomatoes for just $12.00. They are perfect for canning or freezing, making your own mountain of salsa or just plain eating! (To help you along, we're posting all sorts of great tomato-based recipes over on Pinterest today.)

Interested? Please e-mail Eileen directly and she'll bring orders to the Market this Saturday.

This week at the Market: Shlagel Farms

We're so excited to visit the Shlagel Farms tent at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday -- all of our favorite late summer produce: corn, peppers, scallions, sweet onions, eggplant, kale and collards, tomatoes large and small, peaches, blackberries, beans, cucumbers, brown eggs, potatoes, squash and zucchinired watermelons, red seedless watermelons, yellow seedless watermelons, cantaloupes and the Shlagels' first harvest of honeydews!

Need recipe inspiration or some new cooking methods? We have loads of recipes, tips and techniques to help you make delicious meals from your Market purchases on Pinterest.

This week at the Market: Tasha's Cookies & Treats

Does the end of summer make you want to rebel just a little bit? Here's an easy way to rebel and still be good: eat a cookie (or two) for breakfast. We are big fans of the cakey cookies, brownies and other treats that Tasha's Cookies & Treats brings to us in her big truck with the pink flowers! The oatmeal raisin is wonderful -- moist and chewy with lots of flavor (and you can feel pretty good about it as a breakfast food, to boot). Actually, truth be told, we haven't had a single cookie that we didn't enjoy from Tasha's. Come on over on Saturday morning and see what all the fuss is about -- pick up some lunchbox treats for the coming week and enjoy a mini-reberllion breakfast. You'll be glad you did!

This week at the Market: Alcoba Coffee Beans

Have you tried Alcoba Coffee Beans yet? Jose Castillobeza and his daughter sell locally roasted Guatemalan coffee beans, arguably the crown jewel of South American coffee production. Alcoba Coffee comes to us in three roasts: Dark, Light and Mixed (note: Mr. Castillobeza will be able to grind beans onsite this week). I can personally attest to the Dark Roast -- it makes an absolutely lovely iced coffee, and it's been a welcome new staple in our kitchen. Visit the Castillobezas this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market and find the right roast for your morning! 

Because of the diversity of microclimates throughout the country, there are a wide variety of coffee beans grown in the region, with many interesting characteristics. Read all about Guatemalan coffee growing here. And visit us on Pinterest for coffee-based recipes and latte art tips & techniques (or this site for a terrific rundown of brewing techniques), as well as recipes and more that will help you get the most out of your Market purchases.

Community at the Market: St. Ambrose Men's Club Annual Blood Drive

Give blood and save lives. Members of the St. Ambrose Men's Club will be at the Market this Saturday to sign people up for their annual blood drive on September 14th. The drive will be from 9:00-1:45 in Fannon Hall at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. If you aren't able to sign up on Saturday, you can call 301-931-6130 or visit Medstar Health Blood Donor Services. Click on the "donate blood" tab and search sponsor code 50333 to locate the St. Ambrose schedule and pick the time most convenient for you.

This week at the Market: Cafe Ambrosia

What's better than chatting with friends and neighbors over a coffee on a Saturday morning? Thanks to Cafe Ambrosia, run by the Ladies of Charity of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Cheverly Community Market is just the place to do that! Grab a cup of coffee, pick up something to nibble on, pull up a chair at our cafe tables, enjoy live music (this week: the return of longtime Market favorites Charles & Kelly), and catch up on the events of the week. It's one of our favorite things about Saturday mornings at Cheverly Community Market!

This week at the Market: Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm

It's that time of year...the Reberts start bringing a terrific variety of apples to Cheverly Community Market and we couldn't be happier! Stock up on healthy, fresh, local fruit and produce for every meal this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market. Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm will have peaches, plums, tomatoes, red potatoes, and a wonderful array of apples:

• Sansa -- Red, medium large. Sweet with acid. Resembles Gala flavor.
• Zestar -- Early season apple with a good crisp sweet-tart flavor.
• Ginger Gold -- attractive yellow apple from Virginia.
• Summer Rambo -- Attractive, large, brightly striped, red fruit. Breaking, crisp, exceptionally juicy flesh. Subacid, aromatic flavor.

This week marks Cheverly Exchange's final Cheverly Community Market Trivia Contest, and the prize, appropriately enough, is a basket of mixed fruit, courtesy of Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm. Thanks to Cheverly Exchange for their continued support of the Market! Contest details are below. 

Subject: [Cheverly_Exchange] FINAL COMMUNITY MARKET CHEVERLY TRIVIA CONTEST THIS FRIDAY!
This Friday 2pm we will post our last Community Market Cheverly Trivia question! The first person to answer the question correctly will receive a basket of mixed fruit by Benny's Fruit Stand at this week's Cheverly Community Market! So keep an eye out for the question for your chance to win. 

Remember, you need to have your email set to get Individual Emails or be watching the Yahoo Group which can be found at www.CheverlyExchange.com to receive the question quickly. 

The Cheverly Exchange has been thrilled to provide some entertainment as well as offer some great locally grown and produced goods. I hope everyone has had a chance to go and see what the market is all about and encourage you to go this Saturday if you haven't. The Community Market vendors come out rain or shine to support our market and I hope we can show them how much we appreciate their efforts. It is a great resource for our town and we feel grateful to have one in our community. So show them some love!
Good luck on Friday.
The Cheverly Exchange

New Vendor: All in the Details Floral Design

image via All in the Details Floral Design

We listen to our customers and we're glad that you let us know what you want! We've heard many times how much you'd like to have fresh flowers at the Market, so we're thrilled to announce a new vendor today: All in the Details Floral Design. Floral designer Kira Baker is new to Cheverly, but she has been doing floral design for nine years. Kira will bring fresh flower arrangements to sell at the market, some samples of other work. Planning ahead for homecoming? Kira will can take orders for homecoming corsages and boutonnieres, as well as for any other special occaision. Please help us welcome All in the Details to Cheverly Community Market!

This week at the Market: Martha's Jams

Visit Martha's Jams this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market and come away with delicious ways to perk up that PB&J, as well as your morning toast. This week, Martha brings us wonderful fig jam (made with figs freshly picked from her daughter's neighbor's tree!) as well as kiwi, strawberry kiwi, guava, peach, and other favorites. And don't forget -- these wonderful jams and preserves are great in savory preparations, too -- try a bit in your grilling and roasting recipes. Around here, we call Martha's Jams our secret ingredient!

Community at the Market: CERT (Cheverly Emergency Response Team)

We are very pleased to welcome a new community group to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday: Cheverly CERT (Cheverly Preparedness Network CERT Program)! Started in July, the Cheverly Preparedness Network focuses on basic home preparedness for disasters, natural and otherwise and getting training (by firefighters, EMS personnel and other experts) for community members to assist in emergencies. 

Visit the CERT table this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market and learn about upcoming training sessions, emergency preparations, and activities that will be taking place during Septembers National Preparedness Month.

This week at the Market: Natural Nick's Produce

Have you stopped by the Natural Nick's Produce tent to pick up gorgeous heirloom garlic or sauce yet? Have you sampled his delectable Amaretti, Biscotti or Baklava? If you haven't, this Saturday is your golden opportunity!

Dominick will have Lorz Italian and Siberian Heirloom Garlic, Amaretti Angelina, Biscotti Antoinetta, Baklava Alexandra, Fruit Conserves and Natural Nick's Tomato Basil Sauce at Cheverly Community Market this weekend -- we recommend everything (we're big fans of the Amaretti Angelina)! 

Community at the Market: CPRC storytime & annual membership drive

Join Cheverly Parents Resource Center at 10am on the steps of the Community Center for storytime! This week, explore a fantastic take on the old "To Market, to market, to buy a fat pig" nursery rhyme in Anne Miranda and Janet Steven's charming rendition, "To Market, To Market". Looking for fun activities for young children that relate to this book? We found some great ones here and here. And here's a fun and educational video from a farmer's market in Hawaii.

Make sure to stop by the CPRC table to join or renew your membership in CPRC during their annual membership drive. Founded in 1989, the group has served generations of Cheverly families through playgroups, storytimes, educational activties and other outreach. We're proud to support Cheverly Parents Resource Center and all the great work they do in our community and hope that you'll consider becoming a member!

This week at the Market: Natural-holic with Scents

 

Banish the grime of summer and start the school year off on a clean foot with wonderful handmade soaps from Natural-holic with Scents. Freshen up your morning routine and feel good about supporting local artisans, to boot! Visit Natural-holic with Scents this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market and find a terrific array of handmade fine soaps, as well as t-shirts and other items.

This week at the Market: Cakes by Ruthann

We are big fans of Andrea and Nicky and all the wonderful treats they bring to Cheverly Community Market via Cakes by Ruthann. Over the years that they've been part of the Market, we've discovered many new favorite tastes, including rich Jamaican rum cake, aromatic Jamaican coffee, spicy ginger drink, and delectable Jamaican patties.

This weekend, visit Cakes by Ruthann for your morning fixings: peach turnovers, zucchini bread, banana nut bread and much more, including Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee to go with your breakfast pastry. Cakes by Ruthann will also be fully stocked with cookies, cakes, pies, fruit-based beverages and those famous Jamaican patties, so make sure to stop by for an island-inspired breakfast and pick up great food for the rest of your day, too!

Special Message: Cheverly Breadbasket NOT at the Market this Saturday

We know that many of you look forward to Saturday morning at Cheverly Community Market for fresh bread from Firehook Bakery and fresh tortillas from Moctec by way of Cheverly Breadbasket. We're with you. Sometimes though, family must come first. This weekend is one of those times. You see, Arvind and Crystal Lal with be taking their son, Nick, to college for his freshman year. Nick has helped his dad man the bread stall for years -- in fact, we feel like we've seen him grow up at the Market!

This might be a great week to try your hand at homemade tortillas or baking a fresh baguette or loaf of bread at home -- visit us on Pinterest for some great recipes for breads, tortillas, and more! And while we won't have the Lals with us, we do have other great bakers -- Cakes by Ruthann and Tasha's Cookies & Treats -- to keep you happy this Saturday morning! We'll be sharing those vendor updates with you soon, but we wanted to keep you in the loop.

Community at the Market: Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

image via Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek on flickr

Gorgeous, isn't it? This photo was taken in our own backyard -- Lower Beaverdam Creek. This Saturday, be sure to visit Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek at Cheverly Community Market and learn about this amazing place and local natural delights:

• The latest news about nature in and around Cheverly
• Tips on how to care for the environment right in our own back (and front) yards
• Information about FLBC, the hands-on education and advocacy organization working to restore the health of Lower Beaverdam Creek and the Anacostia River 
• Information about Cheverly's own Green Infrastructure Plan, helping preserve, restore, and sustain our natural environment

Community at the Market: Cheverly Green Infrastructure & Community Forklift

photo via ExpressNighOut

Visit Community Forklift at Cheverly Community Market in the lower parking lot this Saturday from 8:30am to noon. Turn your trash into treasure...clean out your house while making a difference for a local non-profit.

Community Forklift accepts modern, gently-used, and vintage house parts, as well as tools and other supplies you might find at a hardware store or home improvement center – everything from lumber and garden tools, to mantelpieces and medicine cabinets. CF will even picks up at your home good quality appliances and other large donated items.

Check your garage, basement, closets, etc. to see what you can donate, then bring everything to the Public Works parking lot on Saturday morning. In some categories, Community Forklift has specific requirements for what can be accepted. Please visit their website or call 301-985-5180 for more details.

Special thanks to Doug Alexander for arranging this great green event!

Help the Market: Get those yard signs out and vote for us!

We're gearing up to say farewell to summer and hello to a new school year this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market...we can't wait to share a Saturday morning and the promise of fresh, local food, unique crafts, and terrific music with you!

It's time to get yard signs out for our August 24 Market -- we have about 15 vendors, community groups, and musicians lined up for what looks to be a gorgeous Saturday morning. We love August for seasonal local produce, so bring your friends and neighbors to stock up at Cheverly Community Market this weekend. Make sure to stop by the big green Market tent, where you can meet our board members, share your thoughts, vote for Cheverly Community Market in American Farmland Trust's America's Favorite Farmer's Market Contest (we're currently #1 in the state of Maryland and #23 in the United States -- thanks to everyone for supporting us!). And don't forget: throughout the week, we'll bring vendor news and other highlights to you on our blog, so visit us often. We'll also be on Pinterest highlighting great brown bag recipes that will get you excited for lunchtime this fall and tips and techniques to help you make the most of all your market purchases. There's going to be a lot to see and do this weekend at Cheverly Community Market -- we'll see YOU there!

Who's Coming to Market? The Big Lineup (August 10 edition.)

We have a beautiful morning waiting for you this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market. Join us to celebrate National Farmer's Market Week and stock up on the very best fresh, local food, Maryland wine, and products by wonderfully talented local artisans, as well as terrific music and community groups.

VENDORS
Alcoba Coffee and Cheese (!)
Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm
Cafe Ambrosia
Cakes by Ruthann
Cheverly Breadbasket
Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe
CrossKrafts
Elk Run Vineyards
Gigi's Quilts
Little Peeps Emporium
Martha's Jams
Natural Nick's Produce
Natural-holic with Scents
Shlagel Farms
Tasha's Cookies & Treats
Two Oceans Seafood
Waltz Family Farm

COMMUNITY GROUPS
Cheverly Parent Resource Center Spellman Elementary Uniform Drive
Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek
Maryland Master Gardeners

ENTERTAINMENT
Music by Little Big Boss

There's still time to vote for Cheverly Community Market in the American Farmland Trust 2013 I Love My Farmer's Market Contest -- we appreciate your support! And make sure to visit the big green Market tent to chat with our board members, learn more about the Market, or pick up a reusable Market logo shopping bag or two (just $2!)

Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday and support local farmers and small businesses while enjoying a great Cheverly tradition. We look forward to sharing the morning with you!

This week at the Market: Cakes by Ruthann

Cakes by Ruthann's Andrea and Nicky will be at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday to thrill your tastebuds with island-inspired fare and other delectable treats!

CAKES

lemon poppy seed 

red velvet

coconut pineapple

Jamaican black rum cake

oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies * cherry and walnut brownies

BEVERAGES 

(made from real fresh ingredients)
peach punch
strawberry lemonade
ginger beer
Caribbean limeade

JAMAICAN PATTIES

jerk chicken

beef

curry chicken

spinach