Find them on Facebook and subscribe to their newsletter so you can stay up to date on all the latest information about their vendors and special programs.

The Collegeville Farmers’ Market is a producer/grower market committed to providing locally grown, fresh food to the residents of Collegeville and the surrounding communities.

I haven’t visited yet, but vendors include:

The Collegeville Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm until November 19th, and they meet in the parking lot behind the AmeriGreen Gas Station at 460 E. Main Street, Collegeville, PA.

You may park in the Borough Hall lot or the Collegeville Fire Dept. at 5th & Main, or in the Masonic Temple large lot on Clamer Ave. There is also parking along Main and an the side streets.

You can follow them on Facebook and sign up to receive their newsletter.

This Sunday, May 15th, is Opening Day for the Skippack Farmers’ Market in their new location.

Spring is in the air and the Skippack Farmers’ Market is ready tousher in the season on Opening Day, this Sunday, May 15th, 2011. The Sunday market runs weekly from 10 AM – 1 PM. The Skippack Farmers’ Market is returning again this season, but with a new location at the Montgomery County 4-H Center (1015 Bridge Street/Route 113 Skippack, PA). During the market season the Skippack and surrounding communities will have access to local farmers and producers during the Sunday morning Farmers’ Market.

This year’s market will feature vendors with baskets of fresh veggies, delicious fresh fruits, grass fed meats, free-range eggs, artisanal breads and baked goods, maple syrup and honey, certified organic locally roasted coffee, gourmet cupcakes, garden-ready perennials and vegetable plants, artisanal ice cream, local wines, gourmet dog treats, and other handcrafted goods.

For more information, visit the market website. You can also join the market’s facebook page. Questions can be emailed to the market committee at skippackfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

The market will be open from 11am-2pm featuring fresh vegetables from Brogue Hydroponics and Blueberry Hill Farm, gourmet frozen fruit popsicles by Mompops, artisan breads and granola from Great Harvest Bread Co., Irish Victory Cakes from MacDougall’s, locally roasted coffee from Railyard Roastery Coffee, homemade jams and jellies from Jack’s, raw honey from local bees by Two Gander Honey, and much much more!

Opening Day music will be provided by Chris Adams.

Farmers Market at Great Valley
30 E. Swedesford Rd. Malvern
Thursday, May 12th
11am-2pm

I am reposting with their permission.

We want to alert you to a situation that we are currently monitoring regarding farmers markets and proposed new Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) rules. Last Sunday there was an article about this in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In a nutshelll:  MCHD is proposing farmers market regulations that, if passed, will be costly and overly burdensome for the vendors that you have come to know and love at UMFM.  For example:  if a farmer cuts an apple at the market for you to sample his juicy, locally-grown fruit, or another food-producer sells his delicious crusty bread that isn’t pre-packaged, wrapped and labelled, MCHD can consider the farmer or the food-producer to be a retail food vendor and require expensive licensing, and formal certification in food handling; in addition, the farmer/vendor will have to have an expensive ($1,000+) hot-water sink at the stand.
Bottom line: The MCHD proposed regulations go far beyond what the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture requires and endanger the continued existence of farmers markets in Montgomery County.  We all want our food to be safe, but, to our knowlege, there has not been one documented case of a food-borne illness from a farmers market. Indeed, farmers markets are where we go for foods that are healthier because they are safe and free of processing, pesticides and the like.

So what can you do to help?  The MCHD regulations will be on the agenda of the Montgomery County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 10:00 AM in Norristown.  The UMFM Committee will have representatives present fighting for the survival of farmers markets in Montgomery County, and for UMFM in particular. If you can attend to show support, please come and let your voice be heard.

If you can’t make the meeting, here is a sample letter that can be copied and sent to the Montgomery County Commissioners.

I, personally, have been shopping at Selene Whole Foods, on and off, for over a decade. For the past two years I have been one of Selene’s best customers. I regularly purchase raw milk, fresh local organic vegetables and many bulk items. Thankfully they also carry a small supply of grass fed beef and pastured chickens, which I also buy weekly. I love shopping at Selene’s, it’s like a home away from home for me. I often find myself passing through their doors many times per week. No other store near me has all the real whole foods available that Selene’s does. Not to mention, I have found a sense of community at Selene’s. Those who run the co-op are so personable and very willing to help, as well as special order anything they can on your behalf. I enjoy my visits to the co-op immensely and am thoroughly pleased with shopping there. It sure beats shopping in large overcrowded grocery stores with blazing lights and, for the most part, processed foods. Selene is nicely tucked away at the edge of town, easy to get to with ample street parking. I highly recommend shopping there or even getting involved if you are passionate about real foods grown locally.

Additionally, Selene’s has allowed me to teach classes on topics of interest to me that I believe will also benefit the community around me. Last summer when kombucha was temporarily off the shelves, I taught a class on how to make kombucha. Loads of folks showed up eager to learn something new and it was a blast! I even still run into many of the people that have taken my classes, this is  great sense of community to me! Be sure to check out Selene on facebook to stay updated on all the free workshops that will be available at Selene’s. I myself will be teaching many of them. Selene also has a booth set up at the Media Farmer’s Market, which is due to open May 12th right in the heart of town beside the Media Theater.

My friend Ira, who is on the board and has often stepped in to manage the co-op, or even just work when needed, shares his thoughts on the co-op. His history with the co-op goes way back to it’s early days. Here is a trip down the co-op’s memory lane with Ira Josephs;

‘Selene Whole Foods Co-op started in 1977 in the basement of the Breadline Cafe, a very funky, cool vegetarian restaurant next to the Media Theater that was run by a collective of volunteers. The next year it went public with a retail store that was actually part of the original theater and the newly renovated theater. If you go there now, check out the cloak room and elevator and imagine this tiny space packed with bulk bins, a display freezer, produce case, refrigerator and floor to ceiling shelves. At the time it was the only place you could find such healthy food.
After coming back to this area after college, a friend brought me to the Breadline and I fell in love with the whole vibe going on there and immediately got involved. I fell under the influence of some amazing people that were the catalyst for my transformation into living a healthy lifestyle. I volunteered at the restaurant and the Co-op as well. The Breadline didn’t last long so I turned my energy to Selene, becoming a volunteer Saturday manager, volunteer coordinator and board member. I was president of the board when we moved to the current location in 1986.
For one reason or another the Co-op has always struggled, needing to constantly fundraise to survive. But on the other hand, it has served its members and the community for over 30 years and is one of the oldest businesses on State St. It has survived many crazy personalities, incredible competition as natural and organic have become commonplace, bad economies, the Sept. 11th disaster (where retail sales suffered), terrible winters and every slow summer where everyone goes to the shore.  And we are still here!!!
Not only do we provide the healthiest products you can find, that are best for ourselves, our communities and the environment, but we are a community of like minded individuals and a place where you can meet your neighbors and learn how to live a better life. Many long time members are passionate about Selene and do all their shopping there. Others come in once a year and express their gratitude for our continued existence so they can purchase the one thing they can’t find anywhere else.
One of the founding members lives in New England and comes back to visit every year and always stops in and renews her membership. Someone else who was the manager for 10 years and now lives in Mexico also comes back every year and renews her membership. There is something about Selene that touches people on a very deep level, something very real and beautiful. I urge you to come in and spend some time looking around. There are many things you won’t see anywhere else, meet other shoppers, learn from them and get the friendly feel of the place. And please buy some things, thats what we need more than anything to continue to be a wonderful unique community resource and shop.’

I hope this gives you a glimpse into the heart of the co-op and why I love it so much. For those who may live in the Delaware County area, be sure to stop in to Selene’s for your real whole food purchases. Every shopper matters, and benefits an overall purpose of keeping real food fresh and local coming to our neighborhood. After all we can’t all live in the country.

The first of this season’s strawberries are here, straight from central Delaware’s Fifer Orchards. Greensgrow Farms will be selling these sweet springtime delights at their farm stand while supplies last.  The market is open Saturday from 10am to 3pm at 2501 E. Cumberland Street,
Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t signed up for a CSA yet, Greensgrow still has full and half shares left, with both Thursday and Saturday pick-up days open! Find the application here and drop it off with your payment at the farm or mail to their office at 2503 E. Firth St.

The 2011 Season starts this Saturday at the Glenside Farmer’s Market.

Asparagus and spring greens are in season, and NOTHING is as delicious as farm fresh asparagus. It won’t be around for long, so make the most of it while you can get it. If you need a tasty asparagus recipe, check out my Asparagus Frittata. Or just roast it as a side to your favorite meal. See my post on Roasted Asparagus if this method of preparation is new to you.

This week at the Glenside Farmer’s Market, you can also get flowers and veggie plants for your gardens as well as locally made jewelry from Designs By Nancy; fresh baked Hempzel hand rolled Sourdough Pretzels from Lancaster Trading House; and handcrafted soaps, lotions, and soy wax candles from The Christina Maser Co.

Landisdale Farms will be there with their certified organic vegetables as well as an assortment of grass fed beef, roasts, and steaks.

The Glenside Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday now through November from 9 AM to 1 PM, rain or shine, at the Glenside Train Station. Come on out and support your local farmers!

At 9 AM, musical guest Dave Kelly will provide the first live performance of Spring.

Enjoy a cooking demo at 10 AM by Chef Kathy Gold from In the Kitchen Cooking School.

Kids will love the free balloons and face painting.

Starting this Saturday, the Collingswood Farmers’ Market will be open every Saturday from 8 AM to noon, rain or shine, until Thanksgiving. Find them between Collings and Irvin Avenues along PATCO.

On May 7th-8th and May 21-22, from 10am – 4pm, Yellow Springs Farm in Chester Springs, PA will be hosting their Spring Native Plant Sale and Open House.

Our event features over 200 species of native plants, including trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, and flowers.

Don’t miss the artisanal goat cheese tasting, and ever popular goat milk caramel sauces — these sold out for the Holiday Season and were said to cause flash mobs in the kitchen!

Shop the native plant sale, view demonstration gardens around the Farm, and get free, expert advice on plant selection for your property.

Rain Barrels are on display – Order for your home and have your questions answered.

On Saturday May 7th, there will be a special Wine Tasting with wines from Paradocx Vineyard, and on Sunday May 22nd at 10am, you can take a Family Bird Walk on the Farm with Jane Kirkland.

Can’t make it to the farm? Then be sure to check out their new online store – Shop the Farm. In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, they are offering 10% off their Gift Certificates until May 8th (min. amount $25). Use Code MUM2011 at checkout.

photo credit: YellowSpringsFarm.com