Newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

New/Returning Vendors ...... 2

Vendor Categories ................ 2

SNAP/EBT ............................ 3

Recipe ................................... 3

Holidays ................................ 4

Meet The Vendors ................ 4

Meet The Vendors ................ 5

What’s in season? ................. 6

Map to Market ...................... 7

Market Parking Directory…..7 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST Music line up

SNAP/EBT updated info

Directions and Parking Guide

This month’s featured mar-ket recipe

Contact / social media in-formation

Holidays

Market Sections

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MARKET, PLEASE CONTACT:

JERRY PRESSELLER:

EMAIL: JERRY@PUNTAGORDAFARMERSMARKET.COM

OR CALL: 941.391.4856

1 March 2022 Issue 26

Eat Fresh, Shop Local! Small Businesses Need Support Now!

Essential Food Vendor Est. 2021

Downtown Punta Gorda Farmers Market

Welcome from the Market Manager

Howdy!

Wow! This year’s season has been incredible thanks to our wonderful customer

support.

We have had two weeks with the Market expansion and the response has been

fantastic. We’ve also added a music second stage to this area. We’ve nearly met

our goal of 90 unique local small businesses.

Don’t forget, eating healthy, getting fresh air, socializing, and shopping locally

is not just a New Year Resolution, it’s a way of life. We provide that every Sat-

urday and it’s also a nice event to bring your family, guests and neighbors to.

Mark Your Calendars:

Downtown Punta Gorda Farmers Market is open every Saturday year-round,

unless Christmas, severe weather warning or an unforeseen event occurs on a

Saturday. We will announce it on our Facebook page:

@PuntaGordaFarmersMarket

If you have not already done so, please be sure to like our Facebook page so

you can stay up to date.

Check the local calendars for all of the other fun festivities in Punta Gorda and

surrounding areas so you can come spend the day downtown each Saturday

you’re in town. Remember to *keep a cooler in the car.

We wish you a Happy and Healthy March!

MARKET HOURS

RAIN OR SHINE EVERY SATURDAY (UNLESS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER ADVISO-RY)

OCTOBER—APRIL 8AM-1PM

MAY-SEPTEMBER 8AM-12PM

Produce

Meat

Seafood

Dairy

Bakeries

International

Prepared Foods

Art and Crafts

Commercial

Services

Non-Profits

Health & Beau-

ty

Jewelry

Plants

Fresh flowers

(in season)

Clothing

Home Décor

And More!

VENDOR

2

CATAGORIES

MARCH

ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP

Park Stage

3/5 Terry and Dave

3/12 Jonny-Puma

3/19 Terry

3/26 Tony Steel Drums

Breezeway Stage

3/5 Gary Lewis

3/12 Rayla

3/19 Tony Steel Drums

3/26 Terry

Music makes the market festive and fun!

Please support the local Musicians, as they play for your enjoyment and tips.

Find the SNAP/EBT booth, swipe your EBT card, get your

tokens. You will receive two different colored tokens. Dou-

bling your swipe. For example, take $20.00 off your card,

you will get $20.00 for one color and automatically an addi-

tional $20.00 of another color token. $40.00 to spend.

Exchange SNAP tokens with participating vendors around

the market for SNAP-eligible items: fruits and vegetables,

bread products, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products,

seeds & plants which produce food to be taken home to eat.

Exchange grant provided green FAB tokens for Florida-

grown produce, plants, and seeds that produce food.

SNAP and FAB tokens do not expire.

Green FAB tokens can be used at any FAB market. SNAP

Tokens are unique to the market where you received them

and can only be spent at that market.

The grant mentioned was put in place to help our farmers.

Many public-school students are getting P-EBT cards that qualify. If you have not received yours contact the school or DCF.

PSA’s Downtown events are back. Please check here to see what’s going on in the City. https://puntagordachamber.com/calendar-events/ Look around the Market, as there are new and returning vendors all the time. Enjoy!

Take Care of Rover! Every market is like a mini dog pa-rade. Please be mindful of Hydration which is very important for Fido & Fifi due to the stress and excitement.

WELCOME NEW, RETURNING

& TEMP VENDORS

Throughout the newsletter cer-

tain areas of the market will be

indicated to help you find a spe-

cific vendor. You will find the

map on the last page of the

Newsletter.

Sections are:

Herald Court

Taylor St.

Parking Lot

Sullivan St.

Breezeway NOW OPEN! Locations are subject to change when we have to share market space with other events.

MARKET

SECTION NAMES

“You guys are doing a wonderful job with this Market. It is my favorite thing to do on Saturdays. My wife and I love to come for the great variety of products, listen to music, eat and people and dog watch. It’s a fantastic start to our weekend. Thank you for all you do!” Sam B.

Welcome Boy

Scouts of Ameri-

ca. These fine

young men will

be doing demon-

strations and rotate every

other week with the Punta

Gorda Sailing club located

in the Her-

ald Court

Section. A

third Non-

Profit will be the Republi-

can Party.

Welcome back Nick B’s Chimichurri. They will be located in the Breezeway along with many new ven-dors. Welcome New Breezeway

Vendors: Yum Yum Shop

gluten-free spices, The

Grumpy Grater for your

kitchen grating solutions,

Tuttle Towels Etc., Ani’s

Candles, Sugar & Sprinkles

Dessert Shoppe, Oliver’s

Slime, Angela’s Gourmet

Cupcakes, Cowgirl Ladies

Clothing, Maple Syrup, and

the Flan Man.

As season continues

more vendors will be

returning & joining.

This will require some

rearrangements. Be

sure to give yourself

enough time to really

peruse the market,

visit your old favorites

and find some new

ones.

2022

$40 = $80 As of Jan 1, 2022 we will match up to $40.00. (Swipe for $40 and have $80 to spend.)

Vote!

Stop by the Information

Booth and tell us which

logo you like best!

A or B

3

Florida Sweet Pepper, Shrimp and Corn Bisque https://www.followfreshfromflorida.com/recipes/florida-sweet-pepper-shrimp-and-corn-bisque

INGREDIENTS Items to purchase at market are Red

1 pound medium or small Florida shrimp,

peeled, deveined, and chopped into bite-

sized chunks

2 cups fresh Florida sweet corn, kernels cut

from the cob

1 cup Florida sweet peppers, diced small

1 cup Florida celery, diced small

1 cup onion, diced small

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (your favorite)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Cajun or blackening seasoning

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

4 cups half and half

4 cups shrimp or seafood broth

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Chives or fresh herbs for garnish

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat a large soup pot over

medium-high heat. Add butter

to the pot. Carefully add onion,

peppers, celery, and corn. Cook

the vegetables for 4 minutes

until some color and carameli-

zation begin. Add fresh garlic

and stir. Slowly add flour and

whisk until incorporated. Add

seafood broth and half and

half. Turn heat down to medi-

um and continue to stir. Add

tomato paste and seasoning

blends mix well. Bring to a

gentle simmer to continue to

thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and continue to

simmer for about four more minutes. Serve hot with a garnish of chopped chives or fresh

herbs.

Fresh tip: for a dairy-free version eliminate the half and half and add more stock.

INGREDIENTS

Items to purchase at market are Red

1 ½ cups grated raw potatoes

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg

2 tablespoons ranch dressing

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

PREPARATION:

Mix grated potatoes with flour in a large bowl.

Stir Cheddar cheese and mashed potatoes into the grated potato mixture, season with salt and

pepper.

Beat egg, ranch dressing, and milk together in a separate bowl; pour mixture into potatoes

and stir.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Drop tablespoon size scoops of the potato mixture into the hot oil.

Pan-fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Cheesy Potato Cakes https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220501/cheesy-potato-cakes/

Holidays & Events

3/13 Daylight Savings

3/12 Sullivan St. Craft Fair

3/17 St. Patrick’s Day

3/20 March Equinox

3/29 National Vietnam War Veterans Day

Please check here to see what’s

going on in the City.

https://

puntagordachamber.com/

calendar-events/

And

https://allevents.in/punta%

20gorda-fl/all

St. Patrick’s Day Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian

missionary and Bishop in Ireland. Much of what is known

about Saint Patrick comes from the Declaration, which was

allegedly written by Patrick himself. It is believed that he was

born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a

wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and

his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. Accord-

ing to the Declaration, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken

as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and

that during this time he found God. The Declaration says that God told Patrick to flee to

the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home,

Patrick went on to become a priest.

According to tradition, Patrick returned to Ireland to

convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.

The Declaration says that he spent many years evangeliz-

ing in the northern half of Ireland and converted thou-

sands.

Patrick's efforts were eventually turned into an allegory in

which he drove "snakes" out of Ireland, despite the fact

that snakes were not known to inhabit the region.

Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried

at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many leg-

ends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland's

foremost saint.

Sugar & Sprinkles Dessert Shoppe Welcome to one of our many new year-round vendors, Sara & Travis

Kemp of Sugar & Sprinkles Dessert Shoppe. Be sure to find them in

the newest section of the market referred to as, “The Breezeway.”

Sara specializes in making French macarons and cookie sandwiches,

and meringue pops.

Sara has been baking for family and friends her whole life. She and

Travis opened Sugar & Sprinkles in 2022.

When I asked Sara to give us an idea of what she bake’s she replied,

“Macarons are actually a pastry and not a cookie. From start to finish,

it takes two to three hours to make a macaron. They require precise

ingredient measurements and a special mixing technique called macaronage to get the melt-in-your-

mouth texture and the ruffled edges, which are called ‘feet.’”

Then I asked Sara about why she chose to specialize in macaroons, and she answered, “After eating

macarons over the years that were too sweet, I was inspired to try to make macarons and fillings that

are more delicate and creamier. Everyone that has tasted them agrees, I found the magic recipe.”

Sara tries to source local ingredients and bakes her cookies and macarons in Venice.

Sugar & Sprinkles Dessert Shoppe accepts SNAP/EBT on orders of 12

count or more macarons.

Sara can be contacted and followed at the social media sites: Face-

book: @sugarsprinklesdessertshoppe,

and Instagram: @sugarsprinklesdessertshoppe and emailed at sug-

arsprinklesdessertshoppe@gmail.com

When I asked Sara what her favorite things about the market are so far,

she lit up and replied, “The customers and vendors at the PGFM are ex-

ceptionally kind and friendly. It's a joy to see everyone and their smil-

ing faces on Saturdays.”

Sugar & Sprinkles Dessert Shoppe accepts pre-orders of their weekly fla-vors and will be delivered at the market to ensure you get your favorite cookies and macarons before they sell out.

According to legend, Saint

Patrick used the three-

leaved shamrock to explain

the Holy Trinity to Irish pa-

gans.

Ichabod Spice Company

Brian Heilmann of Ichabod

Spice Company hails from

Lehigh Acres and specializ-

es in many varieties of spic-

es and BBQ rubs. He has

low to no salt and gluten

free options. He has been

in business for four years of

which he has been a vendor

at our market for the past

two years as a year-round

vendor. Brian loves meet-

ing new people and greatly appreciates his many re-

turning customers.

Ichabod Spice Company is located in Taylor St. Sec-

tion of the market and does accept SNAP/EBT.

Find Ichabod Spice Company at these links: Web-site: www.ichabodspicecompany.com, Facebook: @Letsgetdusted @SleepyHollowMagicDust

Dope On A Rope Soap We're a small business, family owned and operated, crafting unique handmade soaps since 2009! Our soap on a rope make the BEST gifts for all ages. We use delicious-smelling essential oils, naturally moisturizing ingredients, and one-of-a-kind soap shapes. You can find Jason in the Sullivan Street section of the Market and on Facebook: @DopeOnARopeSoap · Health/beauty.

" I’VE GOT YOUR SPICES, AND CHECK OUT MY

COOL MERCH!”

Incase you Missed it!

MARKET MAP

Down Town Punta Gorda Farmer’s Market is located in the heart of Punta Gorda.

Map search the Herald Court Center Free Public Parking Garage :

117 Herald Court

Punta Gorda, FL 33950

From The North

Take Interstate 75 to Exit 164 (Duncan Rd/Marion Ave) and head West into

Downtown, turn left onto Taylor, then left onto Herald Ct. and a right into the free

parking garage; or take U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), into Downtown, turn left

onto Olympia Ave., observe for parking or continue to 41 N, make a left and another

quick left onto Herald Ct. and a left into the free parking garage.

From The East

Head West on Highway 17 (Duncan Rd/Marion Ave), turn left onto Taylor, then left

onto Herald Ct. and a right into the free parking garage.

From The South

Take Interstate 75 to Exit 164 and head West into Downtown, turn left onto Taylor,

then left onto Herald Ct. and a right into the free parking garage; or take U.S.

Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), into Downtown, turn left onto Herald Ct., observe for

parking or continue into the free parking garage on the left.

From The West

You’re already here! Corner of Olympia and Taylor. Every Saturday! YOUR LOGO HERE

DIRECTIONS

Market Vendor Locations Customer Parking

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook for Punta Gorda Cham-

ber:

https://www.facebook.com/

PuntaGordaChamber/

Facebook for Downtown Mer-

chant’s Association:

https://www.facebook.com/

DMAPG/?ref=settings

Facebook for Saturday Farmer’s

Market:

https://www.facebook.com/

PuntaGordaFarmersMarket/

URL for Saturday Farmer’s Mar-

ket:

www.puntagordafarmersmarket.c

om

URL for Punta Gorda Chamber:

www.puntagordachamber.com

Breezeway

Herald Court

Taylor St.

Parking Lot

Sullivan St.