During the season a weekly newsletter is distributed to highlight events taking place at the market and which vendors will be in attendance.

From spicy salsa with watermelon to strawberry mocktails — enjoy these farmer-tested market recipes!

The Downtown College Park Farmers Market is seeking vendors for the 2015 season, which will begin on April 12th. Interested vendors are required to submit the following items to be considered:

• Completed vendor application including a list of all products to be sold at the market in 2015.
• Signed vendor handbook certifying the vendor has read, understands, and will abide by the market guidelines.
• Proof of insurance that meets the requirements established on page 5 of the vendor handbook.
• All applicable permits and licenses required by the State of Maryland, Prince George's County, and/or the state from where the product comes.

If you have any questions please contact Ryan Chelton, Economic Development Coordinator, at 240-487-3543 or rchelton@collegeparkmd.gov.

The market is open for the season!

NOVEMBER 16th

Question 1: About how old are maple trees before they are ready to be tapped?

A) 20 years

B) 30 years

C) 40 years

Question 2: Choose the two ways that maple sap is collected to make syrup.

A) In buckets hanging from spouts.

B) With a knife and maple press.

C) Plastic tubing and vacuum pumps.

NOVEMBER 9th

Question 1: More foods are made with this grain than any other cereal grain.

A) Corn

B) Rice

C) Wheat

Question 2: Which state produces the most wheat?

A) Kansas

B) Ohio

C) Illinois

NOVEMBER 2nd

Question 1: How many varieties of potatoes are grown in the United States?

A) 3

B) 5

C) 7

Question 2: What percentage of the potato crop is turned into frozen fries?

A) 20%

B) 32%

C) 40%

OCTOBER 26th

Question 1: True or False - Pumpkin flowers are edible.

Question 2: True or False - Pumpkins are fruits.

OCTOBER 19th

Question 1: After dairy products, what is the most consumed food in the U.S.?

A) Tomatoes

B) Potatoes

C) Corn

Question 2: Roughly how many new dairy products are introduced each year?

A) 200

B) 600

C) 1,000

OCTOBER 12th

Question 1: Which animals are sometimes used to guard large herds from predators?

A) Llamas

B) Donkeys

C) Dogs

D) All of the above

Question 2: True or False - a cow is more valuable for its milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt than for its beef.

OCTOBER 5th

Question 1: True or False - produce from a farmers market is often more expensive than produce at a grocery store.

Question 2: For a produce to be labeled "organic," what is the minimum percentage of organic content it must include?

A) 50%

B) 75%

C) 95%

SEPTEMBER 28th

Question 1: Which of these countries are top apple producers around the world?

A) United States

B) China

C) Poland

D) All of the above

Question 2: Which of these is the largest yearly producer of eggs?

A) United States

B) China

C) Canada

SEPTEMBER 21st

Question 1: How many apples does it take to create one gallon of apple cider?

A) 12

B) 24

C) 36

Question 2: True or False - Apples account for 30% of the international deciduous fruit tree produce.

SEPTEMBER 14th

Question 1: What was the weight of the largest apple ever picked?

A) 2.75 lbs

B) 3 lbs

C) 5.25 lbs

Question 2: Which of these apple varieties is native to North America?

A) McIntosh apple

B) Crab apple

C) Victory apple

SEPTEMBER 7th

Question 1: True or False - apples are a member of the rose family.

Question 2: Apple trees grow for how many years before producing their first fruit?

A) 2-3 years

B) 4-5 years

C) 8-10 years

AUGUST 31st

Question 1: What was the highest price ever paid for a single truffle?

A) $24,000

B) $265,000

C) $330,000

Question 2: True or False - there are more species of fungi on the planet than green plants?

AUGUST 24th

Question 1: True or False - In 1995, potato plants were taken into space aboard the space shuttle Columbia. This marked the first time any food was grown in space.

Question 2: One medium potato contains what percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C?

A) 15%

B) 30%

C) 45%

AUGUST 17th

Question 1: True or False - pears, like many fruits, ripen halfway on the tree and then are picked and sold.

Correct answer: pears are one of the few fruits that don't ripen on the tree. They are picked when they are mature, but not yet ripe.

Question 2: Which of these states is a top producer of pears in America?

A) Oregon

B) Virginia

C) Florida

AUGUST 10th

Question 1: When does the U.S. typically harvest pears?

A) July - August

B) August - October

C) September - November

Question 2: How many varieties of pears are there?

A) 500

B) 2,500

C) 5,000

AUGUST 3rd

Question 1:  Which of these has the highest natural source of dietary fiber?

A) Lettuce

B) Soybean

C) Broccoli

Question 2: Which two of these contain 90% or more water?

A) Pumpkin

B) Watermelon

C) Peach

JULY 27th

Question 1:  In the 17th century, farmers in New York City built a wall to keep pigs from roaming. The street running along this wall was called:

A) 6th Avenue

B) Bowery

C) Wall Street

Question 2: Which two peanut farmers have been elected President of the United States?

A) Thomas Jefferson

B) John Adams

C) Jimmy Carter

D) Bill Clinton

JULY 20th

Question 1:  A cow produces an average of _____ gallons of milk daily.

A) 2.4

B) 3.7

C) 5.3

D) 6.3

Question 2: True or False, the average American consumes 35 gallons of milk per year.

Correct answer: 25 gallons per year.

JULY 13th

Question 1: True or False, eggs contain all the essential protein, minerals, and vitamins the human body needs.

Question 2: Eggs are porous, so up to how many pores can they have over their surface.

A) 10,000

B) 17,000

C) 43,000

JULY 6th

Question 1: Scientists believe the watermelon originated on which continent?

A) Africa

B) Asia

C) South America

Question 2: True or False: thumping the side of the fruit and listening to the sound it makes is the best way to tell if a fruit is ripe.

Correct way - sniff the produce as fruits tend to be the most fragrant when they are at their peak flavor.

JUNE 29th

Question 1: When is the best time to buy produce from a farmers market?

A) Early morning

B) Noon

C) Late in the day

Question 2: How should you clean fruits before eating them?

A) Spritz in a peroxide-water spray

B) Soak in soapy water

C) Wash under cool water

D) There is rarely a need to wash fruit

JUNE 22nd

Question 1: Which of these provides the most concentrated source of potassium?

A) Potato

B) Broccoli

C) Banana

D) Orange

Question 2: What percentage of potato nutrition is found in the skin?

A) 10%

B) 20%

C) 40%

D) 60%

JUNE 15th

Question 1: How long has the oldest farmers market in the U.S., the Lancaster Central Market in Pennsylvania, been in operation?

A) 78 years

B) 172 years

C) 201 years

D) 255 years

Question 2: Which of these is a good reason to buy produce from a farmers market?

A) You are supporting a small business.

B) You know where your food is coming from.

C) Local produce is typically the freshest and tastiest available.

D) All of the above.

JUNE 8th

Question 1: What is the most consumed melon in the U.S.?

A) Cantaloupe

B) Watermelon

C) Honeydew

Question 2: What percent of watermelon is water?

A) 50%

B) 70%

C) 90%

JUNE 1st

Question 1: Of the produce in season at the market in June, which has the highest amount of calcium?

A) Rhubarb

B) Green beans

C) Blackberries

D) Summer squash

Question 2: True or False - One cup of strawberries offers more vitamin C than an orange.

MAY 25th

Question 1: True or False - Due to the scarcity of coffee beans during the Civil War, soybeans were used in their place to make coffee.

Question 2: Soybeans are used to produce which of the following:

A) Ink to print newspapers

B) Plastics

C) Textiles

D) All of the above

MAY 18th

Question 1: What percentage of the world's food supply is affected by honey bee pollination?

A) 20-40%

B) 50-80%

C) 90-100%

Question 2: True or False - Without honey bees it would be easy to pollinate fruits and vegetables?

MAY 11th

Question 1: Is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit?

A) Vegetable

B) Fruit

Question 2: True or false - Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.

MAY 4th

Question 1: Today, the average U.S. farmer feeds _____ people, while in 1960 a farmer fed just 26 people.

A) 79

B) 134

C) 155

Question 2: To keep up with projected worldwide population growth, more food will have to be produced in the next 50 years as the past ____ years combined.

A) 1,000

B) 5,000

C) 10,000

APRIL 27th

Question 1: What percentage of total land area in the U.S. is farmland?

A) 32%

B) 41%

C) 67%

Question 2: Which of these is the largest farmers market in the U.S.?

A) Dane County Farmers' Market in Wisconsin

B) Santa Fe Farmers Market in New Mexico

C) Union Square Greenmarket in NYC

Wondering which fruits and vegetables are available during the market season?