Downtown Farm Stand Newsletter

Holiday Gift Baskets! While we do always have gift certificates available, this year we are also taking orders for Holiday Gift Baskets from The Downtown Farm Stand! Do you know someone that's hard to buy for that appreciates Real Food ? Maybe you want de-commercialize the holidays and give a present that means something. Maybe you want to turn a friend or loved one onto local organic food. Or, maybe you just want to give someone a gift that has some of the highest quality, best tasting food anywhere ...

Well we're trying to make your shopping a little easier this year by offering delivery of pre-chosen or customized baskets for your friends or loved ones. That's right, we're happy to deliver for a small transportation fee. We can customize a basket, or we have put together some themes with popular favorite items sold at the Downtown Farm Stand. We can meet just about any budget. True to our roots, the baskets are recycled peach baskets decorated by Sara Ring at The Farm Stand. Below are some examples ...

Organic Fruit Baskets- Medium - Approximately 12 pieces - $24.99
Large approximately 18 pieces - $34.99
Baskets include 1 pineapple and apples, oranges, pears, grapes (counts as three pieces), bananas, etc.
Local & Sustainable Cheese, Crackers, & Summer Sausage & Fruit Basket - $39.99
3 kinds of local sustainable cheese from 100% grass fed cows from the Swiss Connection in Clay County, Organic Crackers, a Summer Sausage from 100% grass fed beef, and 4 pieces of organic fruit.

Coffee & Sweet Tooth Basket- Coffee, Chocolate, Cookies, Milk - $34.99
Includes 1 lb of local roasted fair trade, organic shade grown coffee - whole bean or ground - 2 large gourmet organic chocolate bar from Endangered Species in Indianapolis, Newmans Organic Cookies, and Traders Point Organic Milk from 100% grass fed cows.

Get well and keep warm with a Chicken Soup Basket -$29.99 -
Enough for several meals!
One whole frozen free range local pastured chicken, 1 pkg of celery, 1 pkg of carrots, 1 head of garlic, 1 pkg of pasta, and 1 pound of onions. All you add is water and desired seasonings (and a little effort!).

Local, gourmet, pastured, free range meats- Call for a price
This can be anything from duck breast or duck legs, to bison steaks, to humanely raised veal brats, to super thick pork chops, to whole rabbit! All meat is from animals raised on pasture with humane standards.

Breakfast Basket -$39.99 enough for several breakfasts!
1 pkg Organic Bagels, 1 pint of local natural honey or cherry butter, 1 dozen local pastured chicken eggs, 1 - Traders Point Creamery Yogurt, 1 lb of Organic granola, 1 lb of pastured pork Sausage, and Organic Valley European cultured butter.

College Student Special- $39.99 Get through exams in style ...
4 - organic fair trade green tea energy drinks, 1 bag of organic blue corn chips, 1 jar of Amy's Organic Salsa, 4 pieces of organic fruit, 1 block of Swiss Connection cheese, 1 box of organic crackers, 1 Amy's frozen organic pizza. (Remember we deliver!)
Remember that these are just ideas...we are happy to customize a basket for you!

Miscellaneous Farm Stand "news bites"

Star Press article about The Farm Stand being open on Sundays ...Did you get to see the article in the paper about us being open on Sunday? Click here on a link that will take you to the online version of the article in The Muncie Star Press. This is a great time for us to ask for feedback about our Sunday hours. Are the hours good for you? Do you expect to come into the store on Sundays on a regular basis? Do you think our Sunday hours are spectacular? O.K. how about sufficient?

New Store Products & Holiday Items

While we are on the subject have you checked out all of our new products we have at the store? We have local organic grains and herbs from Fields of Agape in Rush County. We have organic Lakewood juices like pomegranate and cranberry, we have pastured rabbits (completely dressed) raised on Gunthorp Farms, we have a full organic bulk dry goods section with 30 items. We have a few frozen turkeys for Christmas that are going fast. We can take pre-orders for Christmas hams. We will also have a few tofurkeys due to some special requests. Traders Point Creamery Egg Nog is available and is truly amazing. We have all of the special items you need for your holiday table, parties, and presents. Remember us this season at The Downtown Farm Stand!

Other Gift Ideas

Re-usable stainless steel water bottles, thermoses, and hot lunch containers. Also, local hand made soaps from organic oils, luxurious organic bath and body products are available. We have fantastic teas, local cheese made from milk from 100% grass fed cows, beef summer sausage, fruit baskets....and of course ...
Gift Certificates!

Part Time Employee

We are once again looking for an employee as Sarah Richcreek is moving to Indianapolis. We need someone to work evenings - the schedule is approximately Monday through Friday from
4 -7, Saturday 3 - 7, and Sunday 12-5 although the schedule may vary. Flexibility with scheduling is a plus. The pay is $7.00 an hour plus a major discount on food.
Once again I'm looking for someone with actual food experience that understands what we are doing here and is willing to stay and work for a year or more. Must be philosophically behind building a local sustainable food system. The position requires very good customer service skills, a good all around knowledge of food and cooking. The right applicant would have a willingness to learn about all of our producers, where food at the store comes from, and how it was produced. Must be willing to work hard and be a team player - A flexible tough disposition is what it takes to thrive here. Have to be physically able to lift 40 lbs occasionally. Must be willing to sell and promote humanely and responsibly produced meats. Must have a clean and neat appearance. Previous retail experience is very helpful. Several training sessions will be required. Please bring a resume to The Downtown Farm Stand if you are interested. Please, if someone I know applies for the job and doesn't get it, don't be offended, I'm just trying to find exactly the right person. Thanks!

Slow Food USA
Food For Thought

Tell President-Elect Barack Obama that we want a progressive in the office of Secretary of Agriculture...

Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, wrote a now nearly famous letter in the N.Y. Times to President Elect Barack Obama about farming issues and the knowledge it would take as President of The United States to lead our country into a new era of Agriculture. The New York Times article was entitled Farmer In-Chief, and you can click here to read it.

Well now you can also make your opinion known to the President Elect by signing a petition put out by Slow Food about who we think he should choose for Secretary of Agriculture.


Please tell them you saw it on munciedowntown.com