8/9 Iron Chef Perez Celebrates National Farmers Market Week With HeirloomFM

National Farmers Market Week is August 2-9, 2015. To celebrate, Heirloom Farmers Markets is hosting a Chef at the Market demo with Executive Chef Danny Perez from JW Marriott Starr Pass. The cooking demonstration will be on Sunday, August 9 at the Rillito Park Farmers Market Pavilion starting at 9am. This will be the first public appearance by Executive Chef Perez since winning the annual Iron Chef Tucson 2015 competition this past June!  He will be featuring seasonal market ingredients from the local farmers on hand that day. Plus catch live music from our beloved regulars The Missing Parts, this will be their last time playing at the market!

Farmers markets are more than just an outlet for fresh produce and friendly farmers. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, these grassroots venues have increased in number by over 60% since 2009 to nearly 8,500 today. These markets preserve farmland, stimulate local economies, increase access to fresh nutritious food, improve community health, and promote sustainability. For example, growers selling locally create thirteen full time farm operator jobs per $1 million in revenue earned while those that do not sell locally only create three. The Farmers Market Coalition recently released a series of fact sheets detailing the many other impacts of markets.

Heirloom Farmers Market on Sundays began in 1998 and now calls the Rillito Park Farmers Market Pavilion their home.  Each Sunday, they have 20 local farmers and ranches selling a wide variety of seasonal produce & meats, including tomatoes, peppers, onions, citrus, peaches, apricots, asparagus, berries, apples, basil, beets, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, greens, melons, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, zucchini and more.  All Heirloom Farmers Markets accept SNAP/EBT and WIC.

“Farmers markets play a vital role in forming healthy, local food systems,” says Jen Cheek, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “By providing the opportunity for farmers to connect directly with consumers, markets serve as education centers. Vendors are teaching customers about agriculture, sharing recipes, and exposing them to new foods. Markets are making people and communities stronger and healthier.”