Here’s your chance to enjoy fresh,local food AND support a worthy cause.The Independence Farmers Market is pleased to partner with the Arts Council of the Twin Counties to host the Empty Bowls fundraiser, Saturday, June 9 from 4 to 6:30pm at VFW Post 7726, 115 Klondike Road in Independence, Virginia. Just in case you didn’t know, the core purpose of Empty Bowls is to raise funds for local food charities and educate people around issues of poverty and hunger in their community. The event is a supper where, for a donation, guests choose a bowl and get some soup and bread. Beyond this basic premise, there are a lot of variations on how an Empty Bowls event is handled. The originators wanted it that way so that communities could make it their own, based on their needs and resources.
The Arts Council of the Twin Counties sponsors Empty Bowls in Galax, Carroll and Grayson counties with the guiding principle of “Marshaling the arts to feed more than just the soul “ They coordinate the bowls, most being made by volunteers at area schools and Chest Creek school of the Arts. This year, Hannah Martin of Heartmoss Pottery opened her studio to volunteers to make bowls as well as donating bowls to the event herself. She arranged for Holly Hood of Peachbottom Pottery and Donna & Josh Ellis of Laughing Horse Pottery to participate as well.
The Farmers Market is all about what fills those empty bowls. Part of our mission is to teach people how to cook fresh, local food. To that end, we have scheduled Empty Bowls in a different season each of the 3 years we have helped the Arts Council with the event. This allows Chef Jen and the talented cooks of the Independence Farmers Market to showcase different local, seasonal vegetables and fruit in the soups they make from scratch. The menu this year includes chicken tortilla, Portuguese Kale, vegetarian spring vegetable and strawberry rhubarb soup. Freshly made rolls, bread and delicious desserts round out the meal. Ten to fifteen dollars is the suggested donation (cash or check only). Take out will be available. Proceeds will benefit Grayson County Backpack Ministries and the Farmers Market SNAP Match program. We hope to see you there and please bring a friend!
For more information call the Arts Council at 276-238-1217 or visit www.artsculturalcouncil.org
