Market Umbrella is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3), based in New Orleans, whose mission is to cultivate the power of farmers markets to drive economic and community health in the region. Market Umbrella has operated the Crescent City Farmers Markets (CCFM) since 1995.
Staff
November 4 - 10, 2019
Work Opportunities at CCFM
We are looking for a farmers market coordinator! The coordinator works to help plan and execute weekly farmers markets as well as doing community outreach and promoting and implementing our various fresh food access programs. We’re looking for someone friendly and welcoming, diligent and organized, and ready to work year-round rain or shine at our outdoor markets. Check out the complete job description here and apply by November 15th.
Want to get more involved in the markets and our food access programming? Fall is a great time to volunteer at markets - the crisp, cool air makes markets busy and cheerful places to be. Come hang out and talk about your favorite seasonal recipes while you work alongside staff to set up and break down market and beverage service, lead children’s activities, as well as engage with customers and vendors. See the inside workings of our various fresh food access programs, and while you’re here, pick up all the fresh fruits and veggies (and seafood, meat, dairy, bread, etc.) you need.
Check out our calendar of available volunteer opportunities and sign up for a spot directly through the calendar. Check back often as we also use this calendar to post volunteer opportunities at various events we attend around town and host ourselves. We are always posting new shifts for market events :)
Donations for Mrs. Jeannie
Thanks to everyone who donated or bought a ticket for the farmers market gift basket raffle last Tuesday! We were able to raise over $600 for Mrs. Jeannie and her family during their difficult time and absence from the market. We are still accepting donations. In case you missed the raffle - stop by the welcome tent for more information!
You Don’t Know a Yam thing About Sweet Potatoes
Louisiana loves sweet potatoes! But is it a yam or a potato? The short answer. Sweet potatoes are a tuber vegetable native to North America. Why do some people still refer to them as yams? Back in the 1930s, Louisiana sweet potato growers marketed sweet potatoes as yams (a similar tuber with origins in Asia and Africa) to set them apart from other state’s sweet potato crops and it stuck. Whether white, orange or purple flesh, sweet potatoes are nutritious and delicious! Packed with fiber, beta carotene, and potassium they help to prevent or reduce our risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.
Despite having a single growing season, sweet potatoes are usually available year-round, much like apples. This is made possible by the curing process which helps to preserve the potato and develop the sugars in the tuber giving it its distinctively sweet flavor, and making them shelf-stable and available over the course of the year. Fall is harvest time, so you can find them fresh now, and maybe even get your hands on the elusive leaves, another nutritional powerhouse.
Persimmons
While there are Louisiana native varieties of persimmon, you’re most likely to find Japanese fuyu, hachiya, tanenashi, or saijo at the market. All are typically a red orange when ripe, fuyu - the squat, almost square type - can be eaten when firm much like an apple, while a saijo or hachiya - the heart shaped variety with the point at the bottom - are inedibly astringent until they ripen to a pudding-like consistency. They won’t stick around for too long so pick some up from Amorphous Gardens, Major Acre Farm, Star Nursery, and more!
About Us
The Crescent City Farmers Market operates weekly year-round throughout New Orleans. The CCFM hosts 70+ local small farmers, fishers, and food producers, and more than 150,000 shoppers annually.