Visit us on Tuesday and then start your Weekend at the Market!

Lots of parking available!

Market hours are 8am until 1pm on Saturdays, 3pm until 6pm on Tuesdays.

Parking will be available  across the street from the Market.

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry E. Branstad has issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for Van Buren County in response to recent storms and flooding. The Governor's proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,060, for a family of three.  Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available at the "Disaster Assistance" link on the Iowa Department of Human Services website: www.dhs.iowa.gov.

DES MOINES, IA (07/12/2013)(readMedia)-- "Nothing Compares" to this year's line-up of family-friendly fun at the Iowa State Fair. From exciting new grounds attractions to educational exhibits, there's something for everyone at the 2013 Fair, set August 8-18.

Learn about the importance of Iowa's farming community with Certified LEGO Professional Sean Kenney in a special, agriculturally themed sculpture coordinated by the Iowa Food and Family Project. The piece, built entirely out of LEGO bricks, features key pieces of Iowa agriculture including farms, livestock and more. Visit the atrium of the Varied Industries Building to see the exhibit, participate in one of the daily LEGO building contests and learn about Iowa's agriculture first-hand.

Stop by Fun Forest for family-friendly stage entertainment throughout the day including performances by Mama Lou: American Strong Woman, educational presentations by the ReCycle Show with Richard Renner and acts provided by VSA Iowa, an organization striving to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts.

Experience even more family-friendly fun at Expo Hill with daily performances by Team Rock extreme breaking experts and acrobatic circus duo Mango and Dango.

The Fair also boasts 11 days of entertainment specifically designed with young Fairgoers in mind. Stop by Kids' Zone, located north of the Animal Learning Center, to see feats of strength at the Timberworks Lumberjack Show, try your green thumb at Little Hands on the Farm or participate in hands-on crafts at the newly relocated Art Attack.

Kids can also enjoy special programming every weekday of the Fair with Blue Ribbon Kids, the Fair's special club for ages 10 and under. Kids' Club members get to be part of the action during special Fair-themed activities. All events will start at 10 a.m. at the kids' club tent in the Kids' Zone, and will last 30-60 minutes. Membership is free and children can sign up beginning 30 minutes prior to any club event or download a form from iowastatefair.org and bring it along.

Don't miss out on all your Fair favorites returning this year, including Hedrick's Petting Zoo, Bandaloni One Man Band, Silly Sally the Clown, chainsaw carvers A.J. Lutter and Gary Keenan and Fair mascots Fairfield and Rosetta.

Visit iowastatefair.org for scheduling details on these events as well as the line-up of great free stage entertainment, livestock shows, contests and more.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2013 Iowa State Fair, August 8-18. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

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For as long as he could remember, Jay Platt wanted to be a U.S. Marine, and for nearly 15 years, he lived that dream. But in 1998, a rare condition called von Hippel Lindau syndrome (VHL), attacked his eyes, brain, spine and kidneys, forcing his retirement from the service.

"Before VHL I pretty much felt untouchable - until I started having symptoms and the eventual diagnosis," he says.

"I was scared, confused and angry for a number of years; I couldn't understand why God would do this to me. I went from feeling invulnerable to officially being considered handicapped."

After a personal journey of acceptance, Platt recalibrated his sense of purpose by accepting challenges many world-class athletes wouldn't consider. Along with a record-breaking Mississippi swim while blindfolded, handcuffed and shackled, he swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his hands and feet tied, and he was one of fewer than 300 people to hike the more than 2,100-mile southbound Appalachian Trail.

Platt, who is the subject of the new documentary, "Living Unstoppable," (www.LivingUnstoppable.com), explains his transformation and how others might apply the lessons of his journey to their own lives:

• The motivation of "can't" ... Something is triggered in people when they're told they can't do something. Those who want to do what they "can't" eventually find a way if they're motivated and determined. "I don't care who you are - everybody goes through something in life; nobody gets through unscathed," he says. "And everyone, at some point, faces something they believe they can't do - but want very much. If you haven't yet, you will, and coming to terms with it will be a process." Use it as motivation for living life to the fullest, and let it show you how beautiful our time on Earth really is, he says.

• The lesson of the severely handicapped little girl: Platt experienced a long period of despair, hopelessness and rage against the universe. One day while at the park, he heard the pure joy in the laughter of a severely handicapped girl who was being pushed in a wheelchair by her mother. " 'Listen to the birds, Momma,' I heard her say - she was just so happy to experience that simple pleasure," he says. "That has stayed with me ever since; if that little girl could get past her suffering and appreciate singing birds, then I could do much better."

• A promise to contribute to the greater good: The onset of his VHL symptoms, which included vision problems in his left eye and disorientation, was a very scary period for Platt. During this period he made a promise to himself and God to devote his life to others if he survived. He has kept that promise - his Appalachian Trail hike alone raised $109,000 for charity.

• You are still you; don't let tragedy totally define you: While Platt is officially retired from the USMC, he is still the same guy who fully lived a proud life as a Marine for a decade and a half. While how you respond to hardship says much about one's character, you don't have to remain psychically stuck in the worst part of your life by identifying most with a weakness. Use a handicap, for example, for what it's worth - something that helps you strive for significance and fulfillment in life.

About Jay Platt

Jay Platt was medically retired from the Marine Corps in 1998 after suffering complications from von Hippel Lindau syndrome (VHL), a genetic disease that resulted in brain and spinal tumors, kidney cancer, and the loss of his left eye. When told his future would be considerably dimmer than his past, Platt set out to rebuild himself physically, mentally and spiritually, and to challenge himself by setting demanding physical goals. He was one of fewer than 300 people to have hiked the more than 2,100-mile southbound Appalachian Trail; one of three to swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with hands and feet tied; and the only person to swim across the Mississippi River while blindfolded, handcuffed and shackled. The proceeds from his adventures and sales of his documentary benefit non-profits, including the VHL Family Alliance.