This Saturday, April 28, Davidson Farmer’s Market will hold its annual Strawberry Shortcake Day from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. – or whenever the shortcakes run out! Read the full story

By CAMILA DOMONOSKE
DavidsonNews.net

Get ready for a packed couple of weekends as we head towards summertime. Pretty soon it will be prime strawberry-picking season and all you local foodies can take advantage of delicious local fruits and vegetables – whether you’re cooking them up at home or enjoying them at area restaurants. Between trips to the Davidson Farmer’s Market and local farm stands, check out Art on the Green (and the Concert on the Green!) this weekend, and Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby parties next weekend. Music, art, mint juleps, and margaritas – for the next few weeks, this area’s got them all. Read the full story

By KATIE LOVETT
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson Farmer’s Market will come out of winter mode and return for its fifth year of full weekly markets this Saturday, April 7, in downtown Davidson. As the new spring/summer season begins, the market will feature favorite veteran vendors and welcome new ones selling everything from gourmet chocolate to cheese to breakfast sandwiches.

The market is open every Saturday 8 a.m. to noon through October on the market ground, off South Main Street next to Davidson Town Hall. This Saturday’s events include chef Vera Samuels, who will be demonstrating how to cook Easter Brunch French Toast and Moroccan Kale Salad. Read the full story

By CAMILA DOMONOSKE
DavidsonNews.net

Chefs from a collection of area restaurants will offer up their best soups this weekend at Soup on Sunday, a fund-raiser for Serenity House, an end-of-life care home in Mooresville. Meanwhile, Davidson Farmer’s Market and Summit Coffee will host a Breakfast of Champions beer-and-bratwurst feast at the market this Saturday. Meanwhile, it’s grand opening weekend at the new Paddy’s Pour House in Cornelius. Read on for more about those and other food events.

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Davidson Farmer’s Market’s winter tailgate market will be back this Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon next to Davidson Town Hall. You’ll want to plan ahead – parking and road closures could be issues because of the afternoon North Mecklenburg Christmas Parade. But when you get there, you’ll find Christmas greenery; soaps, candles and other local gifts; and plenty of meat and produce from local farms. Read the full story

Davidson Farmer’s Market is in winter mode, which means sales are every other week. The next one is this Saturday, Nov. 19, and comes just a few days before the Thanksgiving holiday. Local farmers will have a variety of meats and produce for your holiday week feasts. Read the full story

Davidson Farmers’ Market will kick off a new season of winter tailgate markets this Saturday, Nov. 5, when it hosts a Winter Market Chef Challenge – a sort of local food “Iron chef” competition.

The market also is promoting its winter schedule with a new poster, including an image by the winner of its winter market poster contest. Hannah Mills, a third-grader at Community School of Davidson, took the top prize with her drawing of a colorful owl.

Her winning artwork and other entries are on display for the next few weeks in the rotunda gallery at Davidson Town Hall. Davidson Town Hall is at 216 S. Main St., and is open weekdays during business hours.

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Davidson Farmers’ Market hosts the last of its summer/fall markets this Saturday, Oct. 29, when sales will be open 8 a.m. to noon next to Town Hall. And market organizers already are planning a kickoff for the winter season on Saturday, Nov. 5, when they’ll host a Winter Market Chef Challenge – a sort of local food “Iron chef” competition.

The winter markets will run alternating Saturdays, 9 a.m., to noon, in the same location as the regular season market, off Main Street.

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By KATIE LOVETT
DavidsonNews.net

Growing up in Wilmington, N.C. I considered my backyard the best place in the entire world. Sure, the giant rope swing and playhouse Grandpa built by hand lent a pretty significant wow factor for a six-year-old. But my favorite backyard activity came every September and October when the grapevine began to sag under the weight of ripe golden scuppernongs. Read the full story

By MADELEINE DICK-GODFREY
DavidsonNews.net

From New York City to San Francisco to Charlotte, high-class food trucks are leaving old-fashioned lunch trucks in the dust. Instead of packaged ice cream, hotdogs, or burritos, these trucks are serving up inexpensive gourmet meals from local ingredients.

Now Davidson College students are getting in on the act. The Davidson College Food Club recently launched its Food Cart, an on-campus spin on the food truck phenomenon. Read the full story

By MATT GILBRIDE
Davidson Farmer’s Market

Every day this summer, communities are converging to celebrate a simple miracle: Farmers, as stewards of rural America, coming together to share a harvest that’s feeding local families. The result? More viable regional economies; increased access to fresh, nutritious food; and stronger social networks that help keep communities strong.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has proclaimed Aug. 7-13, 2011 as National Farmers Market Week. This year marks the 12th annual celebration, and comes at a time when farmer’s market at multiplying nationwide.  Read the full story

A recipe for “Kaleidoscope Salsa” that combined tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, corn, lime and cilantro earned top honors last Saturday for Ashley and Brian Neff of Davidson in the Davidson Farmer’s Market’s annual Salsa Showdown.

Four teams competed for top honors again this year, and they were required to use ingredients purchased at the market. The dish winning clearly takes its name from the multi-colored ingredients that went into it.  The Neffs said their ingredients cost a total of $24. Read the full story

Davidson Farmer’s Market has set a goal of $2,500 for its 2011 Friends of the Market Pea Pod fund drive, which will help support the year-round market’s mission to connect residents and farmers and offer consumers access to fresh local food.

“The Davidson Farmer’s Market is a wholly community-supported farmer’s market,” market manager Courtney Spear said in a press release. “We are not funded by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture or local municipalities, so we rely heavily on the generous support of our corporate and individual donors.”

Ms. Spear estimates that it costs about $625 to run each of the 40 markets held year-round. The funds raised will help to cover the costs to replace damaged tents, purchase new cooking demonstration equipment and cover the day-to-day expenses of operating a year-round market. Read the full story

Supporters and volunteers of Davidson Farmer’s Market said farewell to former manager Mary Jane Leach during a reception on Saturday, June 4, at Davidson Town Hall. Ms. Leach announced in February that she would give up the job this spring because of a job change for her husband. Read the full story

The Davidson Farmer’s Market will host Strawberry Shortcake Day on Saturday, May 21, 2011. The market will be selling homemade strawberry shortcake made from locally grown berries and classic shortcake biscuits baked by market vendors. Shortcakes will be available from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., while supplies last.
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