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Last Saturday evening marked the second Coppell Farmers Market Farm to Table Dinner of the year. It was the first ever, fall themed dinner and a wonderful evening. Coppell FM committee members felt a strong sense of community and pride in sharing the celebration of local food with vendors, volunteers, and guests.

Led for the sixth year by market vendors Chefs Victoria and Robby Hooker, whose vision, creativity, and commitment to giving back make this event possible. The chefs treated one hundred twenty dinner guests to a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Each of the six courses featured the freshest ingredients donated by the farmers and producers at the Coppell Farmers Market and was served by a brigade of volunteers down the long linen-covered tables on the patio of the Coppell Senior and Community Center at Grapevine Springs Park.

The entrée, featuring fresh caught Alaskan Salmon, local sweet potatoes and mizuna mustard greens, was prepared by Chef John Eager. Additional courses were planned and led by Chefs Robby and Victoria Hooker, Andrew Savoie, Toni Sloane, Mejia, and Knifong. Coppell FM vendors also prepared courses:  artisan breads made by Clint Cooper of Village Baking Company were served with Butternut Squash and Mushroom Farfalle, mid-course the guests enjoyed Cranberry Sorbet prepared by John Dumas of Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, Pastry Chef Joe Baker of Joe the Baker prepared the desert course, a fall parfait, and after dinner treats were provided by Pat Simon of Custom Café and Paul Wackym of Wackym’s Kitchen. Students from the two culinary schools, El Centro College and Le Cordon Bleu, assisted in the meal preparation and plating.

Market vendors provided the door prizes and most of the ingredients needed for this incredible meal. Contributors include: Abundantly Aromatic, Alford Family Farm, Cardo’s Sprout Farm, Cross Pecans, Custom Café, D-Bar Farm & Ranch, Elliott Grows, Fisher Family Farm, Fun Guys Mushrooms, Grapevine Grains, Joe the Baker, Just Pie, Latte Da Dairy, Lucido’s Pasta, Magnolia Seafood, Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, River Bird Coffee, Round Rock Honey, Sam’s Salmon, Sundance Garden, Texas Olive Ranch, Biscuit Head Baking Company, Village Baking Company, Wackym’s Kitchen and Weathertop Farm.

Several others contributed services to the successful evening with discounted fees to enhance the success of the fundraiser: Blue Ostrich Winery with the wine pairings, keyboard talent by Roland Elbert, joined during the opening hour by Ron Jones playing saxophone and Jonathan Fisher on bass. Celebration Event Rental provided discounted services and American Tea and Spice Shop of Coppell donated the iced tea. Coppell Community Garden, Cardo’s Farm Project and committee members provided fresh cut flowers. Eli de Moreas graciously served as emcee for the night. The photographers were Jim and Antoinette Pugliese.

Coordinating the event from the market committee were Chairman Karen Gillham, Dr. Peter Lecca, and city liaison Jen Ferguson, assisted by many other CFM committee members. Special thanks to committee members Sheila Powell, Betsy Dwight, and Shannon Brown, who organized more than 100 volunteers. Students from Coppell high schools, Nolan Catholic High School of Fort Worth and Ursuline Academy of Dallas plus many other Coppell Community Garden and other volunteers assisted through the afternoon and evening. This is truly a grassroots community effort.

The dinner’s proceeds support the acceptance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Lone Star food stamp cards) at the market and additional marketing of CFM events.

The dinner was one of several culinary experiences planned by the Coppell FM this season. The next is a Market to Kitchen chef demonstration by Chef Hugh Stewart will be 10 am, Saturday, November 5th, during the market. The Chef Demo Series is offered at no charge to help customers with cooking what they purchase at the farmers market. To keep up with the Coppell Farmers Market and local food efforts follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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The Coppell Farmers Market is seeking volunteers for the sold out Spring Farm to Table Dinner on June 11. Volunteers can expect to have fun while taking part in this memorable celebration of the local food system.

In a food centric atmosphere, more than 70 volunteers will work together to create an unforgettable evening.  Be a part of the long line of more than 50 servers wowing the diners as each course is presented tableside. Training is provided and NO DISHWASHING involved! Watch chefs plating six courses and enjoy snacks and drinks throughout the evening. Volunteers will help with event setup & cleanup as well as serving wine and food, so shift times may vary.


More About the Dinner:The focus of the event is to showcase the Coppell Farmers Market farmers and producers in a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. It is a vibrant display of harvest and culinary creation leading to an exquisite dining experience. One hundred twenty dinner guests will enjoy the fabulous cuisine in a beautiful garden patio setting at the Coppell Senior and Community Center, overlooking Grapevine Springs Park, 345 W. Bethel  Road.

Volunteer Compensation:Volunteering at the FTT Dinner is a great opportunity to be a part of the annual CFM Farm to Table Dinner and its fund raising effort. The Farmers Market Committee appreciates your time and will provide a pizza dinner prior to the event. Snacks, fruit, veggies, salad and cookies included.


Want to join us and volunteer for this unique event? Send an email toinfo@coppellfarmersmarket.org by May 20. Please provide your name, phone number, email address and the area(s) where you would like to assist.

FURTHER DETAILS:
Volunteer Opportunities: 

  • Volunteer Check In- check in all volunteers and direct them to orientation/station area
  • Setup– set tables with linens, silverware, plates, glasses (4:30pm -6:00pm)
  • Welcome Guest Greeter– Greet guests at door and point them to the check-in area
  • Guest Check-in – take guests’ tickets, check off names on guest list, give out name badges and provide direction to hors d’oeuvres area or serve at raffle ticket area
  • Server – Serve guests. Chef Victoria will provide training before the dinner (5:45pm-10pm)
  • Wine Server – Adults only. Chef Victoria will provide training (5:45pm – 10:00pm)
  • Clean-up – Help restore the Center to its normal state (8:00pm – 10:00pm)

Volunteer Dress Attire: White top and black pants and closed toe comfortable shoes for uneven and different surfaces. Please tie back long hair.

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Paul Wackym.JPG Paul Wackym sells his gourmet cookies at the Coppell Farmers Market.

Winter Market season is beginning at the Coppell Farmers Market. Kicking off on December 5 with an expanded market to include the Avenue of Arts and Crafts, find artisan vendors who craft a wide variety of unique offerings to make the holidays shine! Look for fiber art, hand-made jewelry, woodworking, stone art, more artisan food products, and so much more! The market’s regular artisan food vendors also make and package many items for the holiday season. Each of these local artisans runs their own small business, so buying from them keeps money in the community.

Winter Markets will continue with twice monthly markets through March 2016. Farmers who sell at the CoppellFM plant winter season crops and use greenhouses so they have produce to offer year ‘round. Through the years, customers have shown that they appreciate buying local food all year long, so the farmers now plant crops accordingly. Most regular season CFM vendors continue through the winter, with additional artisan food and craft vendors added for variety.

Besides greenhouse tomatoes, green beans and more, winter produce is coming on strong, like broccoli, cabbage, greens, root vegetables, and winter squashes. Meats continue, as do goat milk cheeses, drinkable goat milk yogurt, cows’ milk artisan cheese, butter, honey and a host of other artisan foods. 

The Winter Market schedule is December 5 & 19, 2015; January 9 & 23, 2016; February 13 & 27; March 12 & 26. Hours are 8:00am to noon, rain or shine, but not ice. Check Facebook if in question. The Coppell Farmers Market is located at 768 W. Main Street, under the pavilion in Old Town Coppell. Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the CFM info booth in the center of the pavilion. Click here to visit the Coppell FM online. 

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Fun at the Coppell Farmers Market on Saturday, October 17!  Food Day for Kids will bring kid-oriented activities like Cathy’s Critters’ petting zoo, a food scavenger hunt, free children’s recipe books, chef demo, temporary tattoos and other give-aways just for the young ones.  This event is a way of raising kids' awareness of where their food comes from and how to cook it. 

The highlight of the morning for school age kids is a 10:00am Market to Kitchen chef demonstration by Coppell middle school student and Master Chef Junior contestant Ryan Kate. She will present “Healthy Meal Ideas r the Whole Family” by preparing three recipes. Recipes and a kitchen tool will be given to kids in attendance, and one recipe will be sampled. Children get preferential seating so they can see.

How did Ryan Kate get to this culinary level at such a young age? She explained, “I have been cooking with my mom for as long as I can remember. In first grade I started cooking classes. For the past two years I have had private lessons in my home with Chef Gabriella McCord. I also learned a lot in the Master Chef kitchen from Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich.

“I have always loved gardening and food of any kind. I grew up in the kitchen experimenting with different flavors and combining foods to see what I could create. I think that freedom in the kitchen and my mom allowing me to explore and find new things to try in grocery stores and farmers markets expanded my palate and interest in cooking at an early age.”

Food Day is like Earth Day except for food. Every October, thousands of events all around the country bring Americans together to celebrate and enjoy real food and to push for improved food policies. It is a day to resolve to make changes in our own diets and to take action to solve food-related problems in our communities at the local, state, and national level. The Coppell Farmers Market celebrates this day with a focus on children.

The Food Day website says, “Children who know where our food comes from and how to cook meals will have a big advantage when it comes to being healthy and avoiding chronic diseases. Introducing kids to new fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—along with a few basic recipes—can put them on track to make smart food choices for life. If you teach a child to cook, a lot of other things fall into place.” Find more ideas, information, and recipes at Food Day.

Produce is still abundant at the farmers market. Find summer and winter squashes, peppers, greens, root vegetables, green beans, potatoes, onions, herbs, pastured meats, honey, artisan food products and much, much more. Roving musicians Boxcar Bandits and the popular Pop’s Kettlecorn vendor will add to the Food Day festivities.

The Coppell Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at 768 W. Main Street in Old Town Coppell. Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the CFM info booth in the center of the pavilion. Click here for more info or to sign up for email updates.

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Coppell Farmers Market

The Coppell Farmers Market recently made the list of MSN's 100 Best Farmers Markets in America for 2015. Please click here for that article. Every Saturday morning, this medium sized, grower only farmers market hosts a diverse mix of farmers, ranchers and artisan food vendors. Located in the Square at Old Town Coppell, vendors set up under the pavilion and in the parking lot from 8:00am - noon. With a splash pad and playground adjacent to the farmers market, young families find it convenient and fun to shop for food together. 

To keep the produce local, seasonal and fresh, produce vendors at the CFM are vetted and must be located within a 150 mile radius of Coppell. Often the produce has been picked the day before the market. The farmers use various growing methods and to clarify, the Vendor section of the CFM website notes growing methods on each farmer’s description page. Look for Certified Organic, Sustainably Grown, or Conventional growing methods noted at the end of their individual descriptions.

With the support of the City of Coppell, the Coppell Farmers Market was established in 2003 by citizens who had a vision for a farmers market in Old Town Coppell. Under the umbrella of the Coppell Community Garden, a 501(c)3 organization, the market is still run by volunteers, and has grown to over 35 vendors. Well over a thousand customers come to the Coppell FM on any given Saturday to find local, healthy food, develop a relationship with those providing their food, meet up with friends and neighbors, and be a part of the local food movement.

Located at 768 W Main Street in Coppell, detailed information about vendors and products is available at on the Coppell Farmers Market website. 

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Happy New Year from the Coppell Farmers Market!  Here’s to your year of eating wholesome, connecting with your food producers, and a healthy community lifestyle!  The Coppell Farmers Market will be open this winter the second and fourth Saturdays in January, February, and March, so plan ahead to make the farmers market one of the healthy ingredients in 2015.

2014 was a big year for the Coppell Farmers Market with the much anticipated move to the newly built pavilion on Main Street in Old Town Coppell.  With the addition of cover, restrooms, playground, and an interactive fountain, the farmers market became a family destination for good food and fun.  The middle of July customer count rose 40% over prior years.  Vendor count also increased with the space, including a rotating set of local food entrepreneurs with their specialty items and two special days with the Avenue of Arts & Crafts.  The popular CFM Farm to Table Dinner sold out in 2 hours this year, the Chef Demos were standing room only, and the Food Day for Kids encouraged families to make healthy food choices.   

Looking ahead to 2015, the Coppell Farmers Market will continue to focus on the original mission and invites customers and volunteers to form a relationship with local growers/producers in order to provide fresh, seasonal produce and agricultural products for our community while fostering a sense of place in Old Town Coppell.  Since the farmers market established in 2003, the farmers and producers are increasing in numbers and experience, including new farmers just out of college making locally grown food more available for all.  Many plans for 2015, including the CFM Farm to Table Dinner on June 7.  Subscribe on the CFM website for the weekly newsletters, to find out when tickets will go on sale at the farmers market and more!

What’s fresh January 10th? Nutrient rich, colorful root vegetables include carrots, sweet potatoes, perhaps green onions, chives, beets, turnips, and various specialty radishes. A few herbs like fennel, rosemary, and cilantro can survive the winter. Broccoli, cabbage, Bloomsdale spinach, mixed leaf lettuces, and ninja radishes also do well in the cool weather. New crop pecans are in the shell or shelled.  Winter greens will continue for smoothies and/or sides.

Pastured beef and pork, free range chicken, and wild caught Alaska salmon will continue.  Look for both goat cheese and artisan cheese, along with farm eggs.  Visit with the farmers to find out growing/raising practices.

Artisan food vendors are widely varied with something for everyone, including the dogs.  Most of the regular vendors will be selling through the winter months, so come and say hi. 

The CFM is open this Saturday and then returns the second and fourth winter Saturdays on January 10 and 24, February 14 and 28, and March 14 and 28. Hours remain 8 a.m. to noon at 768 W. Main Street in Old Town Coppell.  Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the info booth in the center of the pavilion.

For current market news and events, join the Coppell Farmers Market on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to a weekly email update at http://.coppellfarmersmarket.org. 

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The Coppell Farmers Market is pleased to announce that the market will be operating throughout the winter months and, by popular demand, even two times during December for the first time.  December 6th and 20th will focus on “Home for the Holidays” where you can find healthy and fresh ingredients for your home-cooked holiday meals, artisan food and craft vendors for giving Texas made gifts, and a casual outing for the entire family.  Local music and holiday decorations will set the background for both markets in December. 

 

We invite everyone to come out and see the bounty available during the winter markets as farmers are increasingly growing through the winter and offer fresh kale, collards, and other seasonal produce.  Also, the market serves as a great way to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Come experience the cool side of the farmers market.  As usual, free coffee will be provided to keep you warm while you shop.

 

The detailed winter schedule is 8am to noon on:   

 

December 6 and 20

and in 2015,

January 10 and 24

February and March 14 and 28

 

The first Saturday in April 2015 begins every Saturday season through Thanksgiving 2015.

 

The Coppell Farmers Market is located in historic Old Town Coppell at 768 W. Main Street.  Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens at CFM Info Booth by the free coffee and used like cash at the vendor booths.  For more information about the market, upcoming events, and directions, please visit us on the web at www.coppellfarmersmarket.org.

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Kids! Kids! Next week Saturday, October 18, 8am to noon, Coppell Farmers Market is all about the younger generation as we celebrate our fourth Kids’ Day at the Market in conjunction with National Food Day.   Kid-friendly nutrition-oriented activities stand to make this a memorable market morning.  The Coppell Farmers Market is located at 768 W Main Street in Coppell.

The Food Day website says, “Children who know where our food comes from and how to cook meals will have a big advantage when it comes to being healthy and avoiding chronic diseases. Introducing kids to new fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—along with a few basic recipes—can put them on track to make smart food choices for life. If you teach a child to cook, a lot of other things fall into place.” Find more ideas, information, and recipes here.

For touch and feel time, Cathy’s Critters are a new addition this year. Cathy brings the farm animals to the Old Coppell Square for a morning of meeting and petting animals that provide food, dairy, and clothing. These carefully monitored tame animals will be in a temporary enclosure in the west parking lot near the ranch vendors.

Taste buds are important too. This is the annual day that kids are front and center as the final Market to Kitchen of the season also fetes children. Chefs Robby and Victoria Hooker, familiar faces from the Two Chefs tortilla chips and salsa vendor booth, have again agreed to present a continuous interactive demonstration aimed at the younger set, encouraging healthy eating using market offerings

The Hookers have been an integral part of the market for years, leading the meal preparation and serving of the annual Farm to Table Dinner and hosting prior children’s cooking demonstrations. Robby is District Executive Chef for Lewisville ISD and Victoria is Executive Chef at SMU. As parents of two daughters, they know about kids in the kitchen.

A quiet time can be found on the lawn with a mini children’s library reading area. Kids can stretch out on blankets and peruse library books on farms, markets, and vegetables, including some facts and some fun fiction. They just might happen onto a story time there too with a familiar face in the reader’s chair.

For a fun color-while-you-learn activity, locate the My Plate guide to a balanced diet with an activity at the tables on the lawn. My Plate replaced the former Food Pyramid as a more realistic guide to planning what to eat at a meal.

Economics of feeding a family is important too at a pint size level. Many of the vendors will have child size portions for Kids Day so ask if they have smaller amounts, easy for a child to select, purchase, and carry.

Movement time is critical to a healthy lifestyle. Continuing next Saturday with Living Well in Coppell, Karmany Yoga will lead a free yoga class for participants of all ages. Find them out on the grassy area at 9:00 a.m.

How about some fun music? This week the Lost High Rollers entertain customers and next week The Boxcar Bandits will be strolling around with their lively tunes. Remember: tips are always appreciated by our musicians who add a fun atmosphere to the market.

The nonprofit booth on October 18 is also geared toward children. The Assistance League of Coppell will be collecting new and clean, gently used children’s books for the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas near Children’s Hospital. During next week gather up children’s books no longer needed in your home to share with families temporarily living away from home under stressful circumstances.

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The Coppell Farmers Market hosts the Market to Kitchen Chef Series during each season.  This Saturday, September 13th, at 10:00 am, Dave Blair will demo okra patties and jalapeno poppers and and serve tasty samples.  His demo will be featuring market products while teaching cooking techniques and sharing the history of CFM neighbor Hard Eight BBQ. Hard Eight believes in the importance of locally sourced foods when possible as shown in their Go Texan designation, a restaurant recognized by the Texas Department of Agriculture as an eating establishment using local products.  Temperatures are cooler just in time for this free demonstration. Find a chair under the canopies on the south side of the Pavilion by 10:00 Saturday morning and be ready for an entertaining, informative presentation with nutritious sampling included.

What’s fresh? Melons are still around. Tomatoes in different sizes like grape and heirloom varieties continue. Squash includes yellow summer, zucchini, butta zucchini, butternut, and spaghetti.  Sweet, hot, and bell peppers were still found last week. Okra and cucumbers are still producing. Root vegetables include red potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yellow onions. Greens might include spicy summer salad mix, Swiss chard, arugula, and both Malabar and water spinach. Herbs and seasonings are garlic chives, basils, mints, borage, oregano, and rosemary, plus bottles of dried seasonings. The CFM farmers use various growing methods. Some produce is sustainably grown, certified organic, and conventional. Just ask the farmers and also check their farm description on the website. Non-produce items feature pastured beef, pork, and chicken raised on a natural diet, free range eggs and Gulf of Mexico seafood.  

Artisan cheeses, butter, honey, a large variety of small batch prepared foods, breads, pasta, snacks, pies, cookies, scones, baking and soup mixes, whole grains, coffee, tamales, doggie biscuits, olive oil, vinegar,  chocolate truffles, macarons, fresh squeezed lemonade, crafted fruit popsicles  round out the edible offerings. Recent goat milk cheese choices included chevre (plain, herbed, and mango), plus both plain and Kalamata feta. Granola flavor of the month for September is cinnamon apple, just in time for cooling temperatures.

Interesting facts:  spices sold at the Coppell FM are prepared in small batches from vegetables or citrus fruit dehydrated and mixed by the seller. Taste the vibrant flavor difference. Unique to the Coppell FM, jars of pickled beets, fruit preserves, salsas, pesto, and pasta sauce are prepared by the vendor. Reselling of these products made by others isn’t allowed. Crafted goat milk lotions and soaps, herbal bar soaps, lip balm, and fresh baked doggie biscuits are in the “inedible to humans” category.

The Coppell Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at 768 W. Main Street in Old Town Coppell.  Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the CFM info booth in the center of the pavilion. For the most current market news and events, join the Coppell Farmers Market on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to a weekly email update at http://.coppellfarmersmarket.org..

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Worried about using a whole basket of a certain vegetable or fruit? Consider freezing part of it. Maybe cut up or shred it, freeze, and you’ll have “fast food” sometime in the future. 

Summer produce is still strong with plenty of eggplant, shelled peas and beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, melons, peppers, squash (summer and winter), spinach, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, wheat grass, salad greens, arugula,  and more. Apples and pears are showing up now, along with the end of the peaches.

Always find pastured beef, pork, and chicken raised on a natural diet, free range eggs and Gulf seafood.

Look for prepared foods made in small batches, breads, butter, cow and goat milk cheese, pasta, snacks, pies, cookies, scones, mixes, spices, honey, lemonade, real fruit crafted popsicles, whole grains, tamales,  coffee, doggie biscuits, Texas olive oil, vinegar, chocolate truffles, doggie biscuits, soaps, candles and lotions round out the offerings.

Please note that we are a local, seasonal farmers market, meaning that our farmers bring only what is ripening in their fields each week. Some produce is short lived due to a short growing season. Eating with the seasons takes education, awareness and patience! For a chart of what’s in season now, click here. Our farmers use various growing methods. Some produce is organic (not certified), some is sustainable, and some is grown conventionally. Just ask the farmers.

The Coppell Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at 768 W. Main Street in Old Town Coppell.  Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the CFM info booth in the center of the pavilion. For the most current market news and events, join the Coppell Farmers Market on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to a weekly email update here.