Kick Off Your Summer With Local Roots!

The Memorial Day weekend -- the unofficial start to summer -- is finally here, and at Local Roots, we've got plans to make the holiday weekend memorable!

First, the market is now open a third day! Starting this week, Local Roots will be open Thursdays from noon to 7 PM, making our market schedule a solid three days (also Fridays noon-7 PM and Saturdays 9 AM to 3 PM). As the growing season really kicks in, our producers will be bringing in more and more good, fresh, delicious food for you to enjoy.

And if you're heading out for a holiday picnic or family gathering this weekend, stop in at Local Roots for the freshest produce, the tastiest burgers (beef or chicken) or links (lamb brats, sausages, and more), wholesome breads, and sweet treats.

Felting With Tara returns Friday 5-7 PM and Saturday all day. Learn to make your own colorful felt creations! This is a fun activity for children and adults alike -- try it!

New at the market:
--Sherry's Classic Cuisine offers peanut, almond, and cashew butters as well as granolas and brown rice energy bars.
--Looking for flowers, herbs, or vegetables for the garden? Several producers have potted seedlings available at the market; come in and find the right one for your corner of the yard!

Members, don't forget to try ordering online: it's easy, fast, and gets you a sneak preview of what will be available each week. Need help? Stop by the market for a quick demo or handout.

Hope to see you at the market!

What a GRAND Opening!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Grand Opening such an amazing success! We had crowds of customers all day long, many of whom were new to the store, and the excitement and enthusiasm stayed at a high level all day long.

We hit a new sales record for the weekend -- almost $11,500 gross sales! We topped our previous record by noon on Saturday and just kept going from there. Several producers completely sold out of their products, and many shoppers were seen heading home with full bags and baskets.

If you missed the event, you can read more about it -- and enjoy photos from the day -- in board secretary Jennifer McMullen's write-up at The Ethicurean. We hope to have more photos from other people to add to the blog and to the June newsletter, so if you have some you'd like to share, please send them to news [AT] localrootswooster [DOT] com.

Thanks to everyone who helped prepare for the market, who brought wonderful products to sell, who volunteered to help on market day, who shared delicious food samples, who provided music, who entertained children and other customers -- and who came and graced the market with their presence.

Thank YOU! Without YOU, Local Roots would not grow as strong as it has.

This IS what a community can do together!

Grand Opening May 15!

It's been a year since we announced the plans to develop Local Roots into a year-round local foods market -- look how far we've come! As our way of expressing our joy and appreciation for the support of the community in cultivating Local Roots, we invite you to our Grand Opening celebration this Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM.

While we think that every day is a celebration -- of good, fresh, local food -- at the market, we have special events planned throughout the day Saturday:

Cooking Demonstrations

9-11 AM: Breakfast sandwiches by Dawn McLaughlin (In the Garden), featuring her sausage
11 AM-1 PM: Cream of Local Roots soup by Mary Crabtree, featuring what's in season
1-3 PM: Snack on pita pizzas from Jennifer McMullen (The Grain Maker), featuring seasonal produce

Music

Sit back, sip your locally roasted coffee or fresh iced herbal tea, and enjoy the musical offerings from our talented producer members: Marcus Ladrach, Michele Ward, and more!

Kids

Saturday morning will be a special time for the children, with balloons from Dave Lohnes and a separate children's activity area. They'll have plenty of fun while you shop!

All Day

--Meet the producers and sample delicious food
--Enjoy fun and colorful arts and crafts from local artisans
--Plant your own "herb bowl" planter with master gardener Susan Sivey
--Visit with the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network, check out the SEN Solar Trailer, and find out more about their projects around the county
--Seedling and plant sale by local producers; get your garden started at Local Roots!
--Prizes
--and MORE!

So don't forget -- stop by Local Roots this Saturday to shop, and enjoy the celebration!