Maxine Kumin wrote in her poem, “Grappling in the Central Blue,” “I declare you/Month I Will Not Let Go Of/October/I take you in my arms even as festoons/of mushrooms, adorned beneath/with accordion-pleated gills/attack the punky elms/and fasten on their decay.”
The Fayette County Farmers Market season ends with the month of September. Now we’ll have October, and cooler weather, and perhaps some color of fall trees (if the long drought does not make them brown and drop before their time). We might have time and inclination to walk in the woods and find hen of the woods and other mushrooms just as good as any spring mushroom. Austrian winter pea and the brassica seeds may still be planted as cover crops early in the month, after pulling out the last of the summer crops of tomato, squash and melon. It is a month which cries out for porch sitting, wood walking, mushroom gathering, stadium cheering, and bundling up on chilly evenings. Hot soups are back in favor, as are the roasting and baking of root crops…potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions and the like.
For many, it is the month that lends itself to solitary regrouping and taking care of long overdue household and farm jobs as other seasonal responsibilities calm down, and before the chaos and family time of Thanksgiving and the entire month of December kick in. Enjoy this month, but before you do, visit us at the Fayette County Farmers Market this last Saturday in September.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday in downtown Washington C.H. Other vendors may participate as well.
King Farms (Jeff & Sandi King): Melons, vine ripe tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, squash, maybe green beans.
Margaret’s Memories (Sharon Fulkerson): Dryer balls, market bags, baby hats, and knitted binkie blankets, towels, wash cloths quilting runners, a vintage quilt, fall decorations.
Persinger Produce & Cottage Foods (David Persinger and Julie Mosny): The Pie Lady will have local cut comb and honey. Also pumpkin cookies, cinni mini’s, buns bars and banana cake. Pies to include rhubarb, peach, apple, strawberry rhubarb, black raspberry, cherry and blackberry. The Jam Man will be there with assorted jams & jellies including plum butter, no added sugar apple butter, a spiced tomato jam, elderberry jelly, seedless blackberry and assorted Texas sheet cakes.
Tom’s Tool Shed (Tom McMurray): Low priced sharpening of garden tools and blades.
Wood Designed by DW (Debbie Welch): Handmade, unusual wood crafts. Hand made crocheted dishtowels, clothes, potholders, pocket books and baby booties. Special orders welcome. Cookies, fudge.
Biers Run Mudd (Rachel Shepard): Home produced ceramic wares including mugs, bowls, dishes, and pitchers.
B.Y.E Gardens (Brian and Elaine Yoder): Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, candy onions, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, turnips, pies, sweet breads, cinnamon rolls, raspberry rolls, brownies, lemon snowflake cookies.
By Thy Hand (Mark and Lori Chrisman): Angel food cakes, specialty breads, pies, cookies, dip mixes, noodles.
Chilcote Farm (Bruce & Marlene Chilcote): Comb honey, honey, cookies, apple cider coffee cake, chocolate sheet cakes and baked pumpkin donuts.
Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Handmade baby essentials including, fleece blankets, crocheted blankets, crocheted hats and booties. Flannel receiving blankets, burp cloths, bibs and bunny ear teething rings (12 new fabrics!) as well as crocheted pot scrubbers.
Donaldson Workshop (Roger Donaldson): Wooden spoons, cutting boards, wooden sandwich trays, and walnut spatulas.
Enchanting Acres (Amber Harris): paw paws, black walnuts, tomatoes, garlic bulbs, bulk garlic and peppers.
Featherstone Apothecary (Sylvia Call): natural soaps, skincare items, beeswax food wraps, and dog items.
Greens & Greenery (Katrina Bush): Broom corn wreaths. House plants. Strawberry plants for fall transplant. Beeswax hand creams and lip balms with essential oils. Seasonal produce grown with organic practices. Sacred (holy) basil (tea). Dried catnip. Buckeye candies, peanut butter & chocolate fudge. Mini-pumpkin pies.
Jones Farm Fresh Produce (Jon & Taylor Jones): Pumpkins, gourds, squash- zucchini, yellow, butternut, acorn, spaghetti, peppers, tomatoes, apples, onions, cucumbers, garlic, potatoes, eggs, chicken- patties, ground chicken, cheddar bratwurst, chorizo, wings, breast, pork- chops, sausage patties, sweet Italian links, beef- patties, ground, turkey- ground and wings.
