The Farmers Market at Ix

Saturdays, 8 am-12 pm

Thursdays, 5 pm-8 pm

Market Central & Ix Art Park,

522 2nd St. SE., Charlottesville, Virginia

It's Fall, Y'all

Autumn is a great time to be at the Farmers Market. There is so much fresh, local produce available the farm stands are packed! Tomatoes and corn are making way for sweet potatoes and squash. Pumpkins are lining up to be carved and the early shoppers are eyeing up holiday gifts from the artisans.

Many farms have frozen or bulk produce that can be purchased. Read on to hear a few ideas on how to take advantage of a produce windfall. If you are a SNAP customer, you may have Virginia Fresh Match coupons to use before the end of the year, this is a great way to use them before they expire.

I bet Cecile has a few canning tricks up her sleeve,

if you see her at the market ask if she'll share her secret recipes.

"When does the market end?"

We get this question often, and here's the good news...



The Saturday Farmers Market at Ix is a year-round market!

In fact, the farmers market at Ix Art Park began as a winter market in 2018 as a way to provide a place of business when other markets were closed. In 2020 during the pandemic, the market season was extended through the year to provide support to farmers who needed to sell their products and customers who wanted access to fresh food.



People loved the market! And here we are.

(The Saturday market hours change in the colder seasons,

the market will be open 9 am-1 pm beginning on November 4th.)

Sunset Market Countdown!



The smaller seasonal Thursday evening

Sunset Market is open until the end of October. Enjoy an autumn evening on the Ix Art Park plaza with friends and family. Hot prepared meals and delicious desserts make dinner oh-so-easy.

Market Hours: 5pm-8pm, Ix Art Park

Preserving the Harvest

Take a stroll through the farmers market this week and you will see an abundance of fresh, local produce and meats. Take advantage of these days of plenty and stock up on foods that are easy to preserve!

There are many ways to preserve foods.

• Freezing: This may require blanching the vegetable in boiling water before freezing.
• Dehydrating: You can dehydrate many foods in your oven on the lowest setting, or use a tabletop dehydrator.
• Canning: The Virginia Cooperative Extension has great resources on how to safely can foods with various methods.
• Pickling: Pickling with vinegar can be done for short or longer-term storage depending on the method.
• Fermenting: Using salt, foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are fermented for storage and beneficial gut bacteria production.

Go to the experts! Ask your favorite farmer how they process and store produce.

Ginger Pickled Beets

Beet Pickled Eggs

Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Blackberry Cobbler

Candied Jalepeños

Homemade Paprika

Preserved Roast Peppers

**INSIDER MARKET SCOOP**

Quite a few farms are selling bulk produce (including berries!) which can be easily preserved.

The Grain Issue

Stop by the Market Central tent and pick up the Fall Edible Blue Ridge magazine. Not only will you learn about Virginia's amazing grain community, but you will also see some beautiful photographs taken by Daniel James (Market Central board member and long-time local food and farm advocate).

Want to know more? Ask some of our bakers about the local grain scene.

• Little Hat Creek
• Althea Bread
• Homestead Oven
• Deep Roots Milling

Just Food, Just Economy Update:

We had a full house at the JFJE community social in September! There was a lot of feedback from people interested in learning about food businesses, farmers market development, and how to support access to fresh local food. We are excited about the next steps!

• Dates for classes on food business development and food safety (ServSafe) will be announced soon.
• Community listening sessions for those who may want to develop a farmers market (contact us to visit your community!)
• We're hiring! Take a look at our market job opportunities HERE
• Keep up to date via Facebook or on our website.

In collaboration with Bread and Roses community kitchen, Market Central was awarded a grant from the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund of $50,000 to develop food businesses and increase access to fresh food in Charlottesville.

Thank you to our Community Sponsors

USDA SNAP benefits used to purchase eligible food are matched with Virginia Fresh Match incentive coupons for free fruits, vegetables, edible plants and seeds. To strengthen equitable food access, Market Central was awarded a $5,000 Sentara Cares grant to help with program implementation, management, and community outreach. Our purpose is to provide more local and regional SNAP enrollees the option to access fresh, healthy food grown in their own community, supporting local farms and the local economy.

Our Greening the Market program sponsor Southern Environmental Law Center has allowed us to improve and implement our environmental programs such as composting operations and reward programs for customers who bring reusable containers.

These collaborations have allowed us to develop opportunities for jobs at Market Central!

• SNAP program coordinator
• Environmental program coordinator

SNAP & Fresh Match

Market Central accepts SNAP at the Saturday Market, and matches up to $50 of your SNAP for fresh produce with Fresh Match! 

Virginia Fresh Match is supported by the USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program

Market Central Gift Certificates

and Gift Tokens are available!

Shop and Give Local

Follow us on Instagram @Market_Central

Market Central is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax-deductible.