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A Market of Firsts
Before Whole Foods found Pittsburgh, before Giant Eagle launched the Market Districts, before Trader Joe's came to East Liberty, and a long time before local markets could guarantee much in the way of organic produce for their customers, there was Farmers @ Firehouse.
The farm market under the green awnings next to the historic firehouse building at 2316 Penn Avenue, was first in the region to set strict organic standards for its produce vendors. More unusual, it set feed and pasture standards for its meat, eggs and dairy sellers.
Farmers@Firehouse, still the largest mostly organic market in the region, was named the outstanding farmers market in the city by Edible Allegheny and City Paper and featured numerous times in Table magazine, Pittsburgh Magazine and on KDKA-TV.
Ten years later, a crowd waits for the 9 a.m. bell to ring on Saturday mornings, six months of the year, from Mother's Day to Thanksgiving. Shoppers count on glistening heirloom produce, foraged mushrooms, grassfed beef and lamb, Berkshire pork, orange-yolked eggs, authentic ethnic prepared foods, artisan bread and all-vegan baked goods, top quality fair-trade coffee, wild berries, hops, urban honey and Somerset maple syrup.
This pioneering market claims other firsts:
It launched "Laptop Butchershop," linking farm market customers to local meat vendors by email. Customers took the opportunity to order meat online for pickup at the market--exactly the cuts they wanted-- guaranteed free of hormone, additives and antibiotics--choosing the animals, even the breeds and feeding methods they preferred. This was a big change in an era when people trying to buy locally raised meat often faced buying half an animal and didn't know a lot about how it was raised.
The market, with its partner/sponsor Slow Food Pittsburgh, led the way in teaching shoppers to cook what the market offered. Leading chefs preside every week in the Slow Food demo tent, cooking everything from rhubarb to hedgehog mushrooms to shishito peppers and unfamiliar herbs. Now, thanks to events like the spring Rhubarb Rumble, lesser known veggies fly out the "door." The market was also first to offer periodic cooking lessons for kids.
One month ago, F@F became the first market in the city to offer SNAP benefits for those with food stamps, which means, for the first time, lower income customers have better access to the same nourishing, great tasting organic products as their neighbors.
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Where:
Farmers@Firehouse Market &
Bar Marco
2216 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Driving Directions
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Pittsburgh's first and largest mostly Certified Organic/
Certified Naturally Grown farmers' market celebrates its 10th anniversary.
WHEN: Sat, Sept. 8
TIME: Market Hours, 9 am-1 pm, Bar Marco After Party - 1-3 pm
WHERE: 2216 Penn Ave, Strip District
WHAT:
--Chef Bill Fuller, a pioneer in connecting Pittsburgh chefs and farmers, and Executive Chef, the Big Burrito Restaurant Group, will be in the Slow Food demo tent, 9 to noon.
--Buy Raffle Tickets for Two Market Baskets filled with produce, coupons, goodies; a Mon Aimee Chocolat Gift Basket and a "Friends of F @ F" Basket with gift certificates from Penn Ave Fish Co, Wigle Whiskey, Slow Food Pittsburgh, Marty's Market, Bar Marco and more.
--Hourly Giveaways of $10 in Market Tokens.
--Register to win pride-of-Lebanon olive oil and homemade wine in over-sized ornamental bottles from Najat's Cuisine .
--Live music throughout the day.
CONTINUE THE CELEBRATION: Bar Marco After Party, supported by Slow Food Pittsburgh
--1-3 pm
--$20/person
--Toast the the farmers with a signature cocktail and enjoy appetizers, both made with locavore goodies of course.
All proceeds from the day will benefit the Market's SNAP/EBT Program (food stamps):
Funds raised will go to double every SNAP dollar spent at the market, so that food stamp purchases will have twice their value. Mark Bittman: "We need to not cut but raise the amount of support we give to recipients of food stamps. A good example is New York City's Health Bucks program, where food stamps are worth more at farmer's markets."
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We look forward to seeing you at the event.
Sincerely,
Susan Barclay
Slow Food Pittsburgh
P.S. Something else to crow about: With art by designer Larkin Werner of Wall-to-Wall Studios, the market has a new logo. The rooster in a fireman's hat says it all--and carries its message on BIG canvas shopping bags that raffle winners will take home and marketgoers may purchase, beginning Se
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