FARMERS MARKET SPECIAL EVENT—IDEAS

Remember— the only limitation on ideas is your imagination.

Organizations to contact for events at your market: Along with the following list of suggested groups (which is just a “short” list), keep your eyes and ears open for suggestions!

Grade School, Middle School and High School Farm Service Agency Bands Animal Rescue League, or City Pound, County Band Booster Clubs Animal Shelter Drama/Mime Groups Zoo Jr. College/College bands County Extension Office Local musicians, musical groups FFA, 4-H Disc jockeys American Heart Association Art groups/local art councils American Cancer Society Cub Scouts American Lung Association Girl Scouts American Dental Association Boy Scouts Hospital—(Nutrition or Dietary Dept.) Eagle Scouts American Ophthalmology Assoc. Camp Fire Girl & Boys American Podiatry Assoc. Horizon Club Medical School or Local Clinic Big Brother/Big Sister Fire Department YMCA/YWCA Police Department Tae Kwondo Groups/Martial Arts Academy Schools Local sports groups (Little League, Soccer, Church groups, choirs Football, T-ball, etc.) Chefs/Restaurants Dance and Gymnastics groups Radio/TV stations Master Gardeners Armed Forces (Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Men’s Garden Club Force, Marines, ROTC, Jr. ROTC) Women’s Garden Club Veterans Groups Quilting Group—display/demonstration Community Economic Development groups Weavers Guild Chamber of Commerce Pork Producers Resource, Conservation, and Development Egg Producers (RC&D) Turkey Federation County Extension Office Beef Producers Kiwanis Corn Producers Rotary Soy Bean Producers Lions Club Fruit & Vegetable Growers Assn. Local Farmers Federation Dairy Council Community Church and/or Church Coalition Department of Natural Resources City or a department within the City County Conversation Board

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The following is a very limited list of event suggestions. How you make them into your own event is up to your creativity!

Celebrate Opening Day, Middle of the Season Scrambled Egg Breakfast; Afternoon Market Day, Last Market Day, etc. Cookies/Coffee Celebrate a Vegetable or Fruit Day (e.g. Broccoli Chili Breakfast Day, Strawberry Day, etc.) Spaghetti Breakfast Market Birthday/Anniversary—host a Popcorn giveaway birthday/anniversary party for your market Agri-sculpture, Play with Your Food—art forms Cooking Demonstrations made from vegetables/fruits Arts & Crafts Day— in July Children’s Produce Tractor Pull Essays/Photo/Drawn Pictures —tie in with any Hands-on Art Affair—play and craft time for type of promotion children Recycling Collection Point Collection for a mission or homeless shelter Eyeglass Collection Site for the Lions Clubs Cucumber/zucchini races Food Drive Family Picnic Day—July Clothing Drive Free plant giveaway Kids’ Parade Cooking demonstration Unusual/ugly vegetable contest Ice Cream Social Coupon “cents off” for a particular featured Contests—pie eating, seed spitting vegetable at that day’s market Bicycle Safety Day, Bicycle Rodeo Market Bucks Pep rally for football game Market Basket giveaway End or beginning site of an organized 5K, 10K Produce tasting race or fun-walk

National Days/Weeks/Months Observances during a Market Season The following pages are lists of nationally declared days, weeks, or months celebrated during the months of a typical market season (May–October). Any of these could be an event/celebration at your market. Make your market THE place in your community for informative activities and events during the market season.

Information taken from Chase’s Calendar of Events, an annual publication (you can check your local library reference desk), also see: http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays

Examples: You’ve selected National Healthy Vision Month (May) as an event. Contact your local Lions Club and ask them to come to the market and provide a collection box for used eyeglasses—and allow them to promote their organization. Be sure to put out press releases—also do signage at your market prior to the event to remind people to bring their unused eyeglasses. OR May 25 is National Tap Dance Day—get a local dance studio to come and perform!

MAY NATIONAL DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTE National Beef Month National Bike Month National Barbecue Month National Older Americans Month National Egg Month National Physical Fitness & Sports Month National Hamburger Month National Strawberry Month National Clean Air Month National Salad Month 184

National Asparagus Month JULY NATIONAL National Book Month DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTE Eat Dessert First Month Anti-Boredom Month National Salsa Month National Ice Cream Month National Tennis Month National Baked Bean Month National Military Appreciation Month National Hot Dog Month National Historic Preservation Month National Picnic Month Mother’s Day (second Sunday) National Recreation & Parks Month Armed Forces Day (21st) National Culinary Arts Month National Tap Dance Day (25th) Independence Day (4th) (the last Monday) National Farrier’s Week (third week) National Police Week (third week) National Tourism Week (second week) AUGUST NATIONAL National Safe Boating Week (fourth week) DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTICE National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) National Farmers’ Market Week (second week) week (third week) National Inventor’s Month (May is filled with health awareness campaigns. National Back to School Month These are just a few. You might think about National Peach Month having a health fair or health information table National Immunization Awareness Month at your market). National Smile Day (first Monday) National Osteoporosis Prevention Month National Mustard Day (6th) Better Sleep Month National Sisters Day (7th) National Mental Health Month Herbert Hoover Day (Sunday nearest Aug 10th) National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month National Clown Week (first week) National Women’s Health Care Month National Simplify Your Life Week (first week) National Arthritis Month National Correct Posture Month NATIONAL Healthy Vision Month DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTE Better Hearing & Speech Month National Piano Month National Library Card Sign-Up Month JUNE NATIONAL National Chicken Month DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTE National Honey Month National Dairy Month National 5-A-Day Month National Safety Month National Cholesterol Month National Turkey Lover’s Month National Potato Month National Perennial Gardening Month National Rice Month National Zoo & Aquarium Month National Organic Harvest Month National Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Month National Sewing Month National Accordion Awareness Month Prostate Cancer Awareness Month National Rose Month Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month National Adopt a Shelter Cat National Hispanic Heritage (Sept 15–Oct 15) National Rivers Month Deaf Awareness Week (third week) Summer Solstice (21st) National Farm & Ranch Safety & Health Week (14th) (third week) Father’s Day (third Sunday) (first Monday) National Yoyo Day (10th) National Grandparent Day (first Sunday after National Little League Baseball Week (third Labor Day) week) First Day of Autumn (22nd) Talk Like a Pirate Day (19th) 185

OCTOBER NATIONAL National Chili Month DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS OF NOTE National (15th) National Pork Month National Children’s Day (9th) National Apple Month World Smile Day (7th) National Fire Prevention Month (12th) National Breast Cancer Awareness Month National Grouch Day (15th) National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month World Food Day (16th) National Dental Hygiene Month United Nations Day (24th) National Popcorn Month Make a Difference Day (22nd) National Cookie Month (31st) National Roller Skating Month National Chemistry Week (third week) National Eat Better—Eat Together Month National Forest Products Week (third week) National Lupus Awareness Month National School Bus Safety Week (third week) National Animal Safety & Protection Month National Massage Therapy Week (last week) National Stamp Collecting Month National Crime Prevention Month

PRODUCE TYPICALLY AVAILABLE AT MARKETS—Create a promotion around these:

EARLY–MID MAY TO MID–LATE MAY Squash Bell Pepper Sweet Corn Blueberries Sweet Potatoes Cabbage Tomatoes Cucumbers Watermelon Eggplant Greens EARLY–MID JULY TO MID–LATE JULY Peaches Apples Peas Bell Peppers Potatoes Blueberries Snap Beans Cabbage Squash Cantaloupe Tomatoes Cucumbers Eggplant EARLY–MID JUNE TO MID–LATE JUNE Green Beans Bell Peppers Greens Blueberries Lima Beans Cabbage Okra Cantaloupe Onions (Green) Cucumbers Peaches Eggplant Peas Greens Potatoes Green Beans Squash Lima Beans Sweet Corn Onions (Green) Sweet Potatoes Peaches Tomatoes Peas Watermelon Potatoes Okra Snap Beans 186

EARLY–MID AUGUST TO MID–LATE EARLY–MID OCTOBER TO MID–LATE AUGUST OCTOBER Apples Apples Bell Peppers Bell Peppers Blueberries Cabbage Cantaloupe Cucumbers Cucumbers Greens Eggplant Lima Beans Green Beans Okra Greens Onions (dry) Lima Beans Peas Okra Pumpkins Onions (dry) Rutabaga Peaches Sweet Potatoes Peas Tomatoes Potatoes Turnips Squash Winter Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Watermelon Winter Squash

EARLY–MID SEPTEMBER TO MID–LATE SEPTEMBER Apples Bell Peppers Cabbage Cantaloupe Cucumbers Eggplant Green Beans Greens Lima Beans Okra Onions (dry) Peaches Peas Pumpkins Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Turnips Watermelon Winter Squash

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