Music from the Market: Jazz by Nicole Saphos & Ele Rubenstein

They were a great hit with Market customers last May and we're thrilled to welcome them back...jazz musicians Nicole Saphos and Ele Rubenstein! They'll be at Cheverly Community Market for an abbreviated set (9:30am to noon) this Saturday.

A California native, Nicole studied jazz bass and vocal performance at Temple University in Philadelphia. Since emerging onto the DC jazz scene, Saphos has established herself as a compelling and skilled bassist/vocalist. 

Ele studied drum and jazz performance at Temple University, earning his degree in musical performance. He has performed at many notable venues in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York City, including the Black Cat, the Rock & Roll Hotel, Twins Jazz, Chris's Jazz Cafe, Ortlieb's Jazzhaus, The Kimmel Center, Lincoln Center for Jazz in NYC, Bohemian Caverns, and Blues Alley, among others.

Community at the Market: Chesapeake Natives

image via Chesapeake Natives

Please help us welcome Chesapeake Natives back to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday! Always a very popular attraction at the Market, Chesapeake Natives can help you discover the great variety and beauty of plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Make sure to visit their tent and find ideal plants for your Cheverly home.

Not familiar with this group? We asked them to share a little information:

Chesapeake Natives, Inc. (CNI) is a Maryland 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization maintained and operated by about a dozen volunteers and a paid volunteer coordinator. Our mission is to protect, propagate, and promote plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CNI has operated as a registered plant nursery at Cissy Patterson’s historic greenhouse at Mt. Airy Mansion in Rosaryville State Park since February 2013. 

CNI specializes in the production of only local ecotype native plants; that means our plants originate from seed collected within the Chesapeake watershed, and most of these are from within Maryland’s Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties.

In addition to propagating about 100 declining local native ecotypes CNI facilitates hands-on educational activities for adults and children, working in an active greenhouse setting, as well and getting into the dirt, planting and rebuilding degraded landscapes with native plants that need to be preserved in order to support our local pollinators and the web of ecology that depends on them.

Our current goal is to expand the operation at this historic greenhouse, which was virtually derelict for at least the past four decades. Please feel welcome to come to visit and buy plants from our facilities by appointment, Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Volunteers are very welcome.

This week at the Market: Natural Nick's Produce

Natural Nick's Produce will bring Lorz Italian Garlic, Siberian Red Heirloom Garlic, and Natural Nick's Tomato Basil Sauce. If the harvest timing is good, Natural Nick may have Adriano Figs (keep your fingers crossed...what a treat!)

For your sweet tooth, Natural Nick will have Amaretti Angelina (gluten free) Natural Nick's Biscotti Antoinetta, and Natural Nick's Fruit Conserves: Blueberry (which includes Wine Grape Raisins), Strawberry, and Threeberry (Combination of Blackberry, Blueberry & Raspberry) and, last, but certainly not least, Natural Nick's Baklava Alexandra. Natural Nick will be sampling Biscotti Antoinetta...and we think you'll want to take home a box (or two) to enjoy with an espresso or coffee.

All of Natural Nick's products are naturally grown and produced in the traditional organic method by Natural Nick's Produce, "As nature intended."

New Vendor: Handmade Habitat

We're thrilled to welcome new vendor Handmade Habitat to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday. Amina Ahmad (of Takoma Park) makes wonderful contemporary items -- she has a great sense of design and style, and we can't wait to share her wares with you!

Here's a description of Amina and her work from her lovely Etsy shop:

I am obsessed with all things handmade and I believe that handmade can encompass every part of our lives. As the oldest of three children, learning how to do things for myself has always been a big part of my life, and as such, I have become a non-stop sewing, crafting, making machine! 

I am very inspired by nature and my in my work, it is important to me to embrace simplicity and allow the natural beauty of the fabrics and colors I use to shine through. I love working with colors, shapes, tones and patterns that mimic the Earth. I primarily work with natural fabrics such as cotton, organic cotton and burlap and hand-dye many of my pieces to get custom, rustic and rich colors.  

I create for all aspects of our lives - wearing, working, playing and even the cat gets some love.  

For you, the home, the cat & with love for the Earth.

This Saturday, come out, meet Amina, and find beautiful locally made soy candles, cotton scarves, sachets, and catnip toys. It's a great time to start thinking about thoughtful gifts...and wonderful additions to your home and wardrobe!

All images via Handmade Habitat on Etsy

This week at the Market: Shlagel Farms

You know, "they" say a picture is worth a thousand words...

 and we're inclined to believe "them"...

 especially when the subject matter of those pictures is such perfection.

This Saturday, visit Shlagel Farms at Cheverly Community Market. Eileen will have tomatoes by the pound and by bulk. (If you are interested, drop Eileen an email so she can bring larger quantities.) Shlagel Farms will also have eggplant, swiss chard, greens, onions, squash, and three different types of zucchini, as well as green beans, red and white potatoes, peaches and brown eggs.

As a special treat this Saturday, Shlagel Farms is hosting a corn hole toss game to celebrate their Annual Pick-Your-Own Pumpkin Patch, which will be open on weekends in October (as well as special event times for school groups -- visit their website for more information, and click on Fall Fun)! Kids can try their luck for prizes, including passes to the Pumpkin Patch and other wonderful things, so make sure to visit!

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 Saturday, 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.

Community at the Market: CERT

We are very pleased to welcome Cheverly CERT (Cheverly Preparedness Network CERT Program) to the Market again this Saturday! 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 Tom Ruyle at 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 September's National Preparedness Month.