The Cooper Young Community Farmers Market is gearing up for the start of their spring/summer market season. While the market runs all year long, each season brings new vendors (along with your weekly favorites!) and new varieties of fresh, local foods. Farmers, food artisans, local craft artisans, and more come every Saturday to the parking lot of First Congregational Church in Cooper Young to bring customers the best of the best.
The market will continue to be a community staple in the Cooper Young/Midtown area by implementing a new Local Greens Program to replace the AARP’s Fresh Savings Program that ended recently.
CYCFM’s Local Greens Program (in partnership with Slow Food Memphis) is designed to increase access to farm-direct fresh fruit and vegetables for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants while supporting local food producers. The program is modeled after other national nutrition incentive programs.
The Local Greens Program, when initiated this year, will fund a dollar-to-dollar match (up to $20) for all SNAP funds redeemed at the Cooper Young Community Farmers Market. These matching funds can be used to purchase vegetables and fruits at the market.
The Local Greens Program will be funded by donations from local businesses and by generous support from the Cooper Young neighborhood and market customers. The market’s goal for 2019 is $3,000 in donations towards the program with the hope to increase this dollar amount as the number of SNAP participants who shop at the market increases. Starting date will be determined as donations come in, but it is the market’s goal to begin the program no later than May of this year.
Donations are tax deductible and can be made by visiting: cycfarmersmarket.org/support and clicking on “donate”.
For more information, please stop by the CYCFM market info booth any Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or visit cycfarmersmarket.org .
Phillip Ashley Chocolates, whose boutique sweets shop had been a mainstay on Cooper for several years, is set to open its new location on April 13.
In November, Phillip Ashley Chocolates, known nationally for its elegant confections featured at such events as the Academy Awards and the Grammys, closed its Cooper-Young location at 798 S. Cooper looking for more space. Their goods were still available on their web site, phillipashleychocolates.com.
They found it in a nearly 2,000 square foot storefront at 1200 Madison. The grand opening ceremony on April 13 will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature $2 chocolates all day.
