Slow Food Team
Garfield Park Farmers Market Awarded Prestigious Snail of Approval
Updated: Jul 15, 2018
Local farmers market becomes first market in country featuring only Slow Food Snail-approved vendors
Link to event celebration page: https://www.facebook.com/events/164096631082563/
The Garfield Park Farmers Market celebrates their third season on Saturday, May 5th. Although this farmers market is fairly new, it has been deemed the first completely “Snail Approved” farmers market in the United States by Slow Food Indy and Slow Food USA. The Snail of Approval award is only given to vendors that meet specific criteria based on the way products and services are produced. Each vendor that participates in the GPFM has to go through Slow Food’s thorough application process and meet the high sustainability standards for this award.
The Garfield Park Farmers Market was founded in 2015 by Ashley Brooks and Julia Woody. Brooks and Woody gathered together a board of community leaders, farmers, and neighbors to create this community-driven organization to promote food sustainability and local food access within the Garfield Park community. Brooks and Woody served a combined six years on the board of Slow Food Indy prior to opening the market. There they began talking about the need for a completely sustainable, food-focused farmers market in the downtown Indy area on Saturday mornings, specifically in a neighborhood deemed a food desert.
“The Slow Food Indy Snail of Approval distinction is so important to local businesses,” says Brooks, president and co-founder. “It’s important because it highlights those growers and artisans who care about the sustainability of their product and the impact it has on their community.”
Since 2015 the market’s mission has been to support local sustainable farmers and e producers while creating a gathering place for community interactions in the city’s oldest park.
Slow Food Indy has been a market supporter since the beginning and extends their support this year as a 2018 season sponsor.
The Garfield Park Farmers Market will kick off the season Saturday, May 5th from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Garfield Park located on the southside of Indianapolis.
Slow Food Indy will be hosting local chef Chef Alan Sternberg for a delicious cooking demo featuring market vendor food you can purchase from vendors at the market! Meet us for this treat at the @slowfoodindy tent! The demo will start at 10:30am!
“Inspired by global cuisine yet firmly grounded by strong Indiana roots, Chef Alan Sternberg ranks among the top young chefs in the country. The 31 yr old is a Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist in the 2018 & 2016 James Beard awards. Currently Executive Chef at Cerulean restaurant in Winona Lake, and opening Chef for Field Brewing Co in Westfield. Along with his wife, Audra, Alan also created Common House, an ongoing series of innovative pop-up dinners which will become a brick and mortar restaurant in 2018”
Other events to include:
Live music by local musician
Kids Tent sponsored by Garfield Park Arts Center
Local celebrity chef demos
Corn Hole
Slow Food USA Social Media Takeover
Spin the Slow Food Wonder Wheel of Prizes to win:
Slow Food Membership
SFI T-shirt
Other awesome farmers market SWAG
Slow Food Picnic in the Park (starts at Noon)
(Come shop and support the Market Vendors and share the day with the community!)
About Garfield Park Farmers Market: The Garfield Park Farmers Market is a not-for-profit formed in 2015 to help promote community engagement and sustainable food practices. The GPFM is committed to connecting consumers to local vendors who promote sustainable practices. GPFM is the first completely “Snail Approved” market within the United States.
About Slow Food Indy: Slow Food Indy is a local chapter of an international grassroots organization promoting good, clean and fair food for all. They believe that food should be good for you, not harm the environment and provide financial stability to the people who produce it. Slow Food Indy connects consumers in central Indiana with local sustainable farms and restaurants through educational programs, hands-on workshops, farm tours and delicious meals.
Snail Approval Program: The Snail of Approval program showcases restaurants, farms, beverage vendors and grocers that are committed to good, clean and fair food. In order to be considered for the program, businesses must take part in some of the following practices: seasonal ingredients or menus, local or sustainable sourcing, green business practices, humane treatment of people and animals or fair labor practices. As of January 2018, applications are open all year round. Applications can be found here
For more information about the Garfield Park Farmers Market please contact:
Garfield Park Farmers Market
P.O. BOX 33249
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46203
garfieldparkfarmersmarket@gmail.com
https://garfieldparkfarmersmarket.com/
The Garfield Park Farmers Market Season Hours: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Saturdays from May to October.
For more info on the slow food movement, Indy’s local chapter, how to get involved and the Snail of Approval program:
Slow Food Indy
E-mail: info@slowfoodindy.com
P.O. Box 2884
Indianapolis, IN 46206-2884
Slow Food USA: https://www.slowfoodusa.org/