According to “Accuweather,” the high temperature last Saturday, May 29, was 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Which means that the day was colder than the first day of the Farmers Market on May 8, when the high was 58 degrees!
May 8 seemed pretty chilly indeed. I am not one to complain about the weather, especially when it has been such an exquisite spring. And there is something to be said for this springs’ cooler temperatures…. the early season crops (lettuce, peas, radish and spinach) have fared better than most of the most recent past years due to the cooler temperatures.
Unfortunately, the lack of rain is a huge concern for farmers. Small scale farmers are probably able to water their strawberries and lettuce and other crops. Even last weeks welcome rain did not penetrate the soil very deeply. As I write on a Tuesday night, I am hopeful for tomorrows’ rain projections.
Strawberries! They are the hot market commodity right now. They are indeed a special treat, nothing like the practically tasteless, often hollow strawberries shipped from the west coast, and bred for “holding up during shipping.” Customers seem to want them for jam or rhubarb/strawberry pies. I’m guessing many don’t even make it home, savored from the bag, perhaps with a chiding comment from a parent to not eat all of them before we even get home! A few sliced strawberries added to a simple salad of greens and perhaps some sunflower seeds is a special treat. And most of us have memories of cut up strawberries, coated in sugar to bring out the juices, and served over cereal or shortcakes. Several market vendors have shortcakes to go with this short season fruit.
The Market is open Saturday morning from 8:30 to 12 noon and is located in the Municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and East East Street. SNAP EBT food benefit cards and credit/debit cards are accepted. Those using the SNAP EBT card for food purchases receive matching dollar “Produce Perks” tokens ($1 for $1) good only for fruits, vegetables, and food producing plants. So,”buy one, get one” for up to $25 every market day. $5 coupons will be available again for Fayette County Farm Bureau members at each Saturday market—these can be spent at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.
Cloud9D (Nicole Dougherty): Tumblers, slate photos and jewelry with lots of customizable gifts.
Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Hand poured wax melts and candles, resin and clay earrings, crochet dish cloths and pot scrubbers and face masks for adults and children. Face masks on sale $3 each while supplies last. Handmade baby essentials including crocheted baby blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths and teething toys, bows and silicone bead and wood teethers.
Dill Family Farms (Andy and Paula Dill): Strawberries and local honey.
DSC Produce Farm (Darren Cox): Private label salsas (a best-selling bacon salsa, habanero bacon cherry salsa, peach salsa and Carolina Reaper) and salad dressings (tomato and bacon, bacon ranch, blueberry, raspberry) plus apple butter, apple pie jam, elderberry jelly, and jalapeno ketchup.
Engeti (Alana Walters): Baked goods including dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, cookies. Garden plants.
Greens and Greenery (Katrina Bush): Potted annuals (basil, sweet and hot peppers, tomatillos, sacred basil, summer squash, luffa, hyacinth and climbing ornamental beans, castor beans). Perennial native plants/trees/shrubs, including elder(berry), amsonia, swamp white oak, grey dogwood, yellow and purple coneflower (echinacea), anise hyssop and hyssop, clary sage, daisy, ferns, monarda and more. Luffa sponges, beeswax hand creams, and glycerin and honey soaps.
Jim’s Premium Ground Beef (Jim Hobbs): Premium Ground Beef which includes steak, loins, chuck and brisket all in our ground beef, vacuum packed in 1#, 5# and patties 3/#.
Julie G’s Cookies (Julie Greenslade): Homemade cookies: sugar, chocolate chip, snicker doodles, peanut butter, lemon bars , oatmeal raisin, and salted Carmel bars.
Persinger Produce and Cottage Foods (David Persinger and Julie Mosny): The Pie Lady –Local honey, small fruit pies, cini mini’s, oatmeal raisin cookies, buns bars, pecan sticky buns and cinnamon rolls. The Jam Man will have blackberry and blackberry seedless jams, red raspberry, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, and red raspberry jalapeno jams, hot pepper jelly, and no sugar added plum, strawberry jams.
Wood by DW (Debbie Welch): Wood crafts and sewn kitchen crafts.
Your Other Mother’s Kitchen (Don and Sara Creamer, 740-572-0134): Artisan breads, muffins, shortcake.
AG Cutie Farms (A.J. and Grace Armintrout): Farm fresh eggs from right here in Fayette County.
Cheryl’s Country Crafts (Cheryl Braun, 740-505-0068 ): Handmade wreaths and country wood products.
