Monroe Farmers Market will open its 2015 season on May 2. Held every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon, this marks its 36th season and second year in Courthouse Square. Under the leadership of market President Lalena Stirr, Vice President Brian Bruno, and secretary Bill Richman, and while welcoming new sponsors and new vendors, the market is growing. There are several new additions this year.

"The community response has been inspiring," says Richman. "Monroe Farmers Market's ongoing efforts continually strive to improve the food economy in a vibrant, educational marketplace."Thanks to Richman's efforts, the market received approval to accept the Supplemental Food Assistance Program. This means that families and individuals who receive SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) will be able to swipe their card at the info tent and then purchase fresh foods from local farmers and vendors.Bruno has been directly involved in bringing Pocono Medical Center on board as a new sponsor."By doing free health screenings and presentations at the market, PMC brings value beyond their sponsorship dollars," he said. "PMC is a great fit for us. We're thrilled to have them as a partner and look forward to helping them spread the word about wellness through good food."Other sponsors include Ready Set Run, Pocono Community Theater, Earthlight Natural Foods, Free Flow Acupuncture, Local Flair, The Sherman Theater, The Shawnee Inn and ShawneeCraft Brewing Company."On May 2 we will be kicking off the second season in our new location," says Stirr. "This year all of our vendors are returning, some are expanding, and we're excited to announce we have added new vendors as well!"New to the market are Aspen Ridge Farm, Woodsfresh Mushrooms of Cresco and the Pocono Wine Trail. The Wine Trail, comprised of several family-owned vineyards and wineries, will have four members showcasing their products in rotation at the market.Several events are planned this year. May Fair will be held May 23, Kids Day Aug. 1, a farm-to-table harvest dinner at Shawnee Inn Sept. 13 and AppleFest, which wraps up the season, will be on Oct. 31."So many great things will be happening throughout the season and into the fall," says Stirr, who recommends patrons check out the market's website, monroefarmersmarket.com, to learn about more activities.