The Best of Preserves Contest

The German Coast Farmers’ Market “The Best of Preserves Contest” is scheduled for Saturday, July 12.    Food preservation is in along with healthy eating!  You may be canning for the first time, or if you’ve been canning, perhaps you’d like to improve the quality of your home-preserved foods.  Most of all, you want your preserves to be safe and wholesome.  Your goal is to retain valuable vitamins and minerals, while keeping the product pretty and tasting good.  Information booklets are available at both Markets provided by the LSU Ag Center.  These materials will help you have a safe product that is attractive and of the highest quality.    We have several categories; contestants are allowed to enter more than one category, judging criteria would include quality or appearance of product. Products must be labeled to include the name of the preserve along with the month and year that the preserve was made. Entry is to be self preserved by the contestant and participants are to sign up at the Market prior to the contest date.

Grow the Champion Pumpkin Contest

The German Coast Farmers’ Market is sponsoring a “Pumpkin Contest” with the judging scheduled for Saturday, October 25th.  Pick up your pumpkin seeds at the Market on Wednesday evening or Saturday morning during Market hours during the month of June. Included with the seeds are growing directions on how to plant and successfully grow your own pumpkin.  Visit the Welcome Booth at the Market for all the details.  Prizes will be awarded for first and second place.

The East Bank Market is located on River Road in Destrehan, on the grounds of Ormond Plantation.  Market hours are from 8am until noon every Saturday morning.  The West Bank Market is open from 3pm until 6:30pm every Wednesday afternoon.  It is located on River Road in Luling, only 0.7 mile from the I-310 exit ramp onto River Road.

The Market’s produce includes fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked pastries, Italian bread and pastries, snow balls, fresh meats, hogshead cheese, fresh sausage, rotisserie meats, fresh seafood, specialty dishes prepared with local seafood, gourmet rice, pepper jelly, pesto, hot plate lunches, soy candles, goat milk soap and lotions, kettle corn, cracklin, local wines and jellies, bedding plants, herbs, and much more.

Live music is scheduled every Saturday throughout  the summer .