Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market's opening a success!

The Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market held its inaugural market on Saturday, March 16, with a wide variety of vendors and plenty of customers. In a small community of 2,000 residents, over 1,000 customers from 33 cities and towns shopped among 25 vendors . The market was held on the Delcambre Shrimp Festival grounds under majestic oak trees with live Cajun music playing in the background. The startup of the market was made possible by a  $80,000 grant from the USDA's Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) in the 2011 grant year.

The market featured Louisiana shrimp and live or boiled crawfish. The seafood choices also included alligator filets and legs, crabmeat, seafood patties, fresh catfish, and soft shelled crabs to provide a good variety of seafood selections.

Local vendors also sold jams, jellies, Louisiana honey and homemade salsa, not to mention fresh and pickled quail eggs and fresh country eggs. Vegetables and fruits included such specialties such as mirlitons (pear squash).  Starter plants and herbs along with other plants were available for visitors to purchase.  Farmers had hand-ground corn meal, grits, flour and homemade hot tamales, which were sold out in 90 minutes of the start of the market and topped off with fresh squeezed lemonade.

Crafts were a good attraction for the market, which featured high school freshman, Brandon Alleman, who made hand-made products from duct tape. Crafts also included paintings, photographs of Louisiana landscapes, quilts, cypress birdhouses and homemade jewelry.

There was a children’s booth featuring a wetland education display from Louisiana Sea Grant that allowed children and adults to feel furs and skins and were entertained as well as educated by Louisiana AgCenter agent, Thomas Hymel.

The market offered breakfast foods along with hamburgers, hot dogs, and "pastalaya." Louisiana Chef, David Bertrand of Shucks of Abbeville, was the guest chef who provided cooking demonstrations each hour and offered samples to visitors. Cajun music provided by Cajun Twosome provided the perfect touch of Cajun culture.

One of the missions of the Market is to focus on healthy eating so the Iberia Medical Center was on hand to offer blood pressure and body mass index screenings. In addition, the entire outdoor market is smoke free.

Additional spring dates will be April 20, May 11 (Grand Opening) and June 1 from 8am to 1pm. The fall dates will be coming out in the near future.

Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market is an economic development project of the Twin Parish Port Commission and Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, with additional funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and the US Department of Agriculture. Our mission is to preserve and promote our cultural heritage while providing access to local, fresh and sustainable foods that improve the life and lifestyle of all citizens.

For more information, visit http://www.DelcambreMarket.org  or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DelcambreMarket.

Cajun Twosome

Crawfish

Quails

Mirlitons