Who says kids don’t like variety?

Our rule is that, “You’ve gotta at least try it.”  The Step Up After-school Program started for the fall semester on Monday, August 23.  With the help of college students and community volunteers, the program offers individualized help with homework, reading, and math, with a concentration in nutrition, exercise, and the arts.  The program meets every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, with students from the East Lake Community.

Our snacks are a random selection of fruits and vegetables grown by our local farmers.  Local tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, blueberries, apples, grape tomatoes, and muscadines have all been included in our snacks during the first few weeks of the program.

The kids are even starting to get it.

When asked, “Where do you think that this apple was grown?”, one 4th grader responded, “At the East Lake Farmers Market!”  Well, close, it was grown by one of our local farmers and was sold at the East Lake Farmers Market, so I guess that was a pretty good answer!

The menu for tomorrow: local Alabama watermelon!

Last week, our kids worked in their vegetable garden.  This week, our kids are reviewing the food pyramid and have been inspired to paint images of “healthy foods they like to eat.”

Lovely, isn’t it.

As we continue to grow, we need your help!

Below is our Step Up wish list:

White posterboard

Notebook paper

Pencils

Colored pencils

Cap erasers

Hand-held pencil sharpeners

Multiplication flash cards

Division flash cards

Board games involving math or science

Children’s books (appropriate for 3rd – 4th grade students)

Desktop computers and accessories

and, as always, volunteers!

All donations made to the Step Up After-school Program are tax-exempt.  To make a donation or to find out more about volunteering, please contact Cheryl Hinnen at Cheryl.eastlakeumc@gmail.com.  Thank you for your continued support!

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The East Lake Market Box Donation Program: A SUCCESS thanks to volunteers and donors like you!

Each Saturday, for 15 weeks, 15-35 volunteers come together to pack boxes full of produce at the East Lake Farmers Market and deliver to senior residents in the community as part of our Market Box Donation Program.  The program, in its third year, not only supports the sustainability of our local farmers, but it also helps to provide healthy, fresh produce, to seniors in need.

Volunteers gather on the market lot to help set up tents and tables from 7-8 a.m.  Then, at 8 a.m., once the food has been gathered from the farmers, volunteers pack the produce into boxes and bags to deliver.  The 125-175 boxes are packed with produce, recipes and preparation tips, and the occasional specialty item such as honey or fresh salsa.

Then, the boxes are delivered to seniors living in two low-income senior housing facilities.  This year, we expanded the program to include seniors living in the West End.  Bags full of produce are packed for these seniors, and they are picked up by a neighborhood leader.  In addition, several boxes are packed with produce to be distributed through our East Lake food pantry, Eastern Area Christian Ministries.

If your service group or religious organization would like to help pack and deliver boxes, please email Cheryl: peerincbirmingham@gmail.com. Volunteers are still needed on September 4th, September 18th, October 2, and October 9.

We cannot do this without our generous donors and willing volunteers!

This year, we have had volunteers from the Society of St. Andrews, Hands on Birmingham, Birmingham Rotaract Club, Canterbury UMC, Avondale UMC, East Lake UMC, Pell City UMC, Christ Church UMC, Church of the Highlands, the Southern Company, and UAB sororities and fraternities to pack and deliver the boxes.  The Sisters and Brothers United group (with Canterbury UMC and St. Paul’s UMC), the Hands on Birmingham Faith Committee, W.J. Christian students, and girls scouts from Troop #350 are all scheduled to pack boxes in the coming weeks.

This year’s Market Box Donation Program is made possible by our generous grantors: The Lucille Stewart Beeson Trust, Canterbury United Methodist Church, The Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust, The Daniel Foundation, Independent Presbyterian Foundation, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, and our individual donors.

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A note from our coffee roaster, Woody Wiginton

FinerGrind Coffee Roasters is a micro-roastery located on Clear Springs Farm in beautiful Blount Co. Alabama.  It’s owned and operated by Woody Wiginton.

Woody selects micro-lots of very fine coffees from around the globe, choosing award winning coffees from auctions such as “Cup of Excellence”, “Best of Panama”, “Coffee of the Year” and “Crop of Gold”.  Woody also selects coffees directly from coffee farms, which is referred to as “Direct Trade” coffee.  After extensively cupping (formal tasting) samples from the farm, Woody accepts those that exhibit excellent flavor qualities in the cup.  Coffees are carefully roasted in small batches on a 15-kilo gas-fired production roaster.  Small batch roasting ensures that you get fresh roasted coffee at the peak of its flavor.  Because the coffee is such high quality and fresh, you can enjoy a “single-origin” coffee direct from a coffee estate and experience what great coffee tastes like from a particular geographic micro-region, which imparts its own unique set characteristics to the flavor.  Woody also roasts and offers USDA Organic and Fair Trade coffees, but only after applying the same stringent selection process for quality and taste.

FinerGrind Coffee Roasters is a proud member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and attends the annual meeting of growers and suppliers.   FinerGrind Coffee Roasters follows the SCAA standards for grading and cupping, ensuring that only the finest coffees are offered.

FinerGrind Coffee Roasters also likes to give back by supporting charities such as “Coffee Kids” and “Grounds for Health”.  Coffee Kids supports health and education for children in coffee growing areas of Latin America.  Grounds for Health support women’s health services in coffee-growing countries.  With each bag of FinerGrind Coffee sold, a portion of the sale goes directly to both Coffee Kids and Grounds for Health.

email: finergrind@mindspring.com

web: www.finergrind.com

facebook: FinerGrind Coffee Roasters

Twitter: FinerGrind

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FUN DAY for KIDS at the East Lake Farmers Market

Saturday, August 21

FREE SCREENINGS for KIDS!

Dental Screening, 9-11 a.m. (Smiles for Keeps)

includes free toothbrush, paste, and floss

Vision Screening, 10-11 a.m. (Focus First)

** Step Show by UAB Greek Life!!**

Saturday, August 28

Kids Paint Day!  10-noon

Come and paint with us!

Saturday, September 4

FREE PANCAKES 8 a.m. until supplies last!

Chalk the lot! 10-noon

Come and decorate the market lot with sidewalk chalk!

Saturday, September 11

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Day for FAMILIES!

Bicycle day!  Make smoothies in the bike blender!

Imagination Library on-site!  FREE BOOKS!!

The East Lake Farmers Market is located on the parking lot of East Lake United Methodist Church

7753 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35206

(on the corner of 2nd Avenue South and 78th Street South)

The market takes place:

Every Saturday, 8-noon, until October 9

Every Tuesday, 3-6 p.m., end date TBA

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A note from Aric Adams (a.k.a. the Goat Cheese guy!)

AA Farm is a small goat dairy farm located in Millbrook, Alabama.  We asked Aric Adams (the AA of AA Farms) to tell us a bit more about his goats.

The herd consists of registered Toggenburgs and Oberhaslis.  The “girls” are not only milk superstars but take home many prizes as beauty queens at dairy goat competitions.  Their hobbies include roaming approximately 7 acres while grazing on privet, wild grape vines, grass, and oak leaves.  Fallen acorns are a favorite wintertime snack and black oil sunflower seeds are provided when these run out.  We prefer to keep our goats healthy through proper nutrition, vitamins and plenty of exercise.  Each girl has her own name, personality, and collar.  They all love to climb and will stand on their back legs to reach the leaves of a low hanging branch.

We sincerely hope that our love of the culinary arts combined with the irresistible urge to commune with nature results in a product known for excellence. – Aric Adams

Come and meet Aric at the East Lake Farmers Market, Saturdays, 8-noon

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WATERPALOOZA: Saturday, August 14

Join us for a water fun day!  Free watermelon slices, seed spitting contest, and sprinkler set up for the kids!  (8-noon)

8:30-9:30 a.m. – Pilates Class

10:00 a.m. – Cooking demonstration with Chef Shawn from LaCocina

11 a.m.- noon- Special guest: the East Lake Fire Truck!

We hope you will drop by to pick up your freshly roasted coffee beans, goat cheese, and…of course…your fresh and local produce from our East Lake farmers!

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Featured Artist from the East Lake Farmers Market: Art Bacon

“I don’t sell many paintings at the East Lake Farmers Market: but every painting that I work on at the market sells somewhere, quickly. I think that the atmosphere of friendliness and helpfulness, positively influences my work.”

– Art Bacon

Art Bacon is known by many as an artist, educator, and scientist.

Says Art, “Art quickly becomes central to everything I do.  I love science, but art is my passion.  I once envisioned a career that combined both—namely, medical illustration. That did not happen; so, I chose science. At Talladega College, however, I realized that without art, I, and my science, would suffer.

People are my subjects of choice–especially, older neglected people, whose faces reflect their experiences. In the early days, I worked almost exclusively with ink washes and lines, using very little color. I believed that color interfered with my portrayal of human feelings. I now use more color, and a variety of media and techniques–often combining several. However, I still like lines and a limited palette.”

For more information on Art Bacon and his work, check out his biography on his website:

www.artbaconartist.com.

Phone: 256-268-2697(h) or 256-493-3512(c) E-mail: artbacon@bellsouth.net

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Saturday, August 7 – I can smell the coffee already!!

It’s gonna be a great day at the East Lake Farmers Market this Saturday.  You have probably gotten the word already that we will have a Pilates class for only $5 (8:30-9:30 a.m.), free pancakes (8 until supplies last!), our own Tomeka Young from the neighborhood doing our cooking demonstration (10 a.m.) and Aric the goat cheese guy!!

but you didn’t know this…

FinerGrind Coffee Roasters Packaging coffee for East Lake Farmers Market this Saturday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. On hand will be a single origin Tanzania Blackburn Estate AA, and a Mocha-Java blend.

Come see us at the Friends of East Lake Farmers Market table!

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East Lake Farmers Market Featured Artist: Ann Wells

The East Lake Arts District brings local artists to the East Lake Farmers Market every Saturday!  Visit their booths in the center of the market lot the next time you drop by for your fresh produce.  We hope that you will enjoy learning more about our local artists through the P.E.E.R. blog over the next few months!

My name is Ann Wells and I am located in Birmingham, AL.  I began Collage Designs by Beulah three years ago. My tag line is, “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle with Fashion.”  I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and in Europe where recycling and doing good for the environment is a way of life. I began collecting cans from co-workers and bringing them home to be recycled.  Later, people started bringing me magazines as well, but I wanted to do something with them before they went into the bin. One thing led to another and Collage Designs by Beulah was born. I graduated from the University of Montevallo in 2000 and have lived in Birmingham ever since.

The technique I use to make my jewelry is decoupage.

First, I collect any images and shapes from magazines.  Next, I use a nontoxic glue to adhere the paper to the surface of the jewelry. I coat the piece with the glue 15-20 times, sanding in between coats.  Finally, I seal the piece with a nontoxic acrylic sealer. In the past year, I have started making jewelry out of other found items, such as records and old games.

While Collage Designs by Beulah is usually available at several retail locations, including the Birmingham Museum of Art Gift shop, Bare Hands Gallery, and the Stranded art cooperative, I am selling solely at the market for the summer months.

I hope to see you out to the market this Saturday!!

– Ann Wells

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