Saturday at the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market, Chef Cindy Karas will show you some of the ways to prepare local food using free-range chicken and fresh-picked produce from the vendors’ stalls.
            Also on hand will be Robyn Stout, who will encourage people to join the NC 10 Percent program, a challenge to spend at least 10 percent of our food budgets – most people spend about $200 a week – on local foods through farmers’ markets, local farms, community-supported agriculture, backyard gardens and community gardens. With everything that is available at the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market – from a variety of meats and eggs through bread and baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables in season and cheese – most shoppers can easily spend $20.
            The Center for Environmental Farming Systems and its Farm to Fork initiative are leading the 10 percent campaign with funding by the Golden LEAF Foundation and support from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents who act as local foods coordinators in all 100 counties.
            On Saturday, you can learn more about the program, how to participate and how to report your weekly spending on local foods. See www.ncsu.edu/project/nc10percent/index.php.
            The market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon in the depot parking lot on South White Street.
            This Saturday Dry Bread Road will provide the music, and market manager Robin Hendricks will sell $5 raffle tickets for a Father’s Day Market Basket. The drawing will be held June 18 at 11:30 a.m.
            Last Saturday every vendor selling eggs had sold out by 11:30, so if you want eggs – or any other item or produce that may be popular, be sure to shop early.
            You will find fresh-cut flowers, bedding plants and other plants, hand-made soaps and lotions, local honey, hand-spun wool, artisan breads, baked goods including gluten-free breads and pastries, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, greens, herbs, salsa, squash, jams and preserves – and every week there is a new vendor with surprises. 
            You can find the market on Facebook, at www.wakeforestmarket.org or call 671-9269 for more information.