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Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market 11 results

New People’s Open Pantry Offers Access to Healthy Food

Building equity and supporting community access to healthy food are at the heart of the People’s Open Pantry, a new initiative under the aegis of the People’s Market, writes Ellen Wu. But starting a pantry during a pandemic takes dedication and planning. Wu talked to several of the people involved in the effort. Click here to read the story.

Ethos of New People’s Market Focuses on Food Justice, Mutual Aid

A group of vendors, community organizers, and university professors began meeting last year to plan what would become the People’s Market, “a farmers market model unprecedented in Bloomington and Indiana,” writes IU history professor Ellen Wu. When COVID-19 “upended everything,” the group quickly reoriented to create a drive-thru CSA. Click here to read about the People’s Market.

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Bloomington 2019: ‘The Year of the Farmers’ Market Controversy’

Media coverage and discussions about the Bloomington Farmers’ Market have dismissed the voices of Bloomington’s people of color, says historian Ellen Wu. “This is a major omission, considering that African American, Latinx, and Asian American women have made integral interventions into the debate.” For this article, Wu interviewed eight women of color to get their perspectives on the controversy. Click here to read the article.

Making Organic Food Affordable

Foods from who-knows-where, loaded with marketing claims that mean who-knows-what, can make finding a healthful meal a nightmare, writes Jared Posey. He shares his tips on how to make organic food more affordable — from growing your own organic produce to making your own organic “value-added” products. Click here to read the full story.

Stirring the Pot: Flour, Yeast, Salt, Water, and Love — Bloomington Bakers

Among the many talented people in B-town, some nurture our minds, some our souls, some our bellies, writes Ruthie Cohen. Surround a creative person with “caring mentors and a supportive community, and watch her grow.” In her column, Stirring the Pot, Ruthie profiles a few of the nurturing souls in kitchens across town. Click here to read the full story.

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Local Farmers Prepare for Spring Market Season

Knowing where your food comes from is more important than ever. With the first Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market of the season on Saturday (and markets in Ellettsville and Smithville starting soon), getting to know the farmers who produce it is easier than ever. Photographer Chaz Mottinger visited three farms to give us a closer look as they prepare for market. Click here to see her photos.

Guest Column: Changing Minds on Climate Change Is Possible

Since the 2016 election, few people concerned about climate change thought they could have meaningful discussions with climate-science deniers. But members of Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) believe their efforts have even encouraged some congressional Republicans to consider a solution to the issue. In this guest column, writer and CCL activist Erin Hollinden explains how. Click here to read the full story.

Stirring the Pot: Spring — Such Bounty, Such Joy

Spring brings such a fresh bounty of veggies and greens, the recipes are bound only by your mood and temperament, says Ruthie Cohen. “In food, in fashion, in life, we are always making choices, assembling, reassembling, collecting, discarding.” Making the everyday unique, making the timeless your own, she says, creates loveliness in the world. Click here to read the full story.

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Can Permaculture Make Society Sustainable? Part 1

Permaculture, says writer Daniel Bingham, originated as an attempt to reshape industrial agriculture into sustainable ecological design that works in harmony with the natural world. First applied to farmsteads, it’s also used to create self-reliant homesteads. Part philosophy, part methodology, and part science, permaculture integrates humans with the natural environment. Click here to read the full story.

Book by Local Poet Ross Gay Selected as Finalist for the National Book Award

The National Book Foundation just announced the Finalists for the National Book Award. Among them is Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, a collection of poems by Indiana University professor Ross Gay. In this profile by Brian Hartz, Gay reflects on his work, on the powerful influence Bloomington has had on his poetry, and what this national recognition means to him. Click here to read the full story.

Farm to Yarn: The Wool Part 1 of a 3-Part Series on the Life of Local Fiber

Knitting and other fiber crafts have found a new generation of enthusiasts who care about the source of their yarn as much as about its color and pattern. In this first installment of a 3-part series, Lindsay Welsch traces yarn to one of its local sources, Marble Hill Farm. Click here to read the full story.