Whoa! Last week’s Fayette County Farmers Market was a chilly one starting out. It was 28 degrees F when I started loading plants – our farm is near a creek and tends to run about 5 degrees cooler than our neighbors just a few miles away, but I believe on this morning it was cold everywhere. I had first to warm up the vehicle in preparation for the tender tomatoes and peppers, and hustled them from their warm interior location to the car.
Sure, they’d been hardened off in these last weeks before the market, but this was too cold for these naturally southern plants, both originating in south or central America. So with several more nights of frost projected, hopefully everyone has been able to hold off planting tender plants, including transplants of tomatoes, peppers, squash and sweet potatoes. Our beloved asparagus, such an early riser, suffered from the freeze, as did the potatoes poking their leaves above the soil.
And it was a cold market day! The temperature stayed in the low to mid 30s, and the wind made it seem even chillier. Many were wearing heavy winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves. But, the sun was shining, and both customers and vendors were happy to be outside, eager to engage in a familiar routine, and the market was cheery with flowers blooming in pots, face masks of all colors and designs, colored chalk marking our “directional” flow for walking (although, comically, most of us could not remember to follow the signs), hand-potted coffee mugs, breads and pies, and bottled sauces and salad dressings.
The Market is open Saturday morning from 8:30 to noon and is located in the municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and East East streets in Washington C.H. 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 $20 EVERY market day. Five-dollar 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. NOTE: the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) will NOT be operating “business as usual” for 2020; please check the paper for additional information in the future.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well. Vendors who provide their phone number may be contacted for advance orders.
B.Y.E Gardens (Brian and Elaine Yoder—740-606-6333): Baked goods including cinnamon rolls, strawberry-rhubarb pie, blackberry-rhubarb pie, brownies, sweetbreads and other goodies. Home made masks. Special orders accepted.
Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Face masks for adults and children (3 sizes), crocheted baby blankets, hats and wash cloths, flannel baby blankets, burp cloths, bibs and teething toys, crochet pot scrubbers, coasters and wax melts (over 60 scents!). To pre-order wax melts only, text 740-572-2118 for order form.
Dsc Produce Farm (Darren Cox— 740-649-6302): 10 flavors of salsa with peach, cherry and bacon as “flavors” of the week. Salad dressing flavors are ranch, blueberry, raspberry and mango. BBQ sauce available.
Greens & Greenery (Katrina Bush): Vegetable and herb plants (sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, yellow and green summer squash); flowering and decorative perennials (ferns, bee balm/monarda, echinacea – purple and yellow, lemon balm citronella, garlic chives, chives, oregano, horseradish,false indigo, mountain mint, columbine, marguerite kelways, amsonia, hyssop and anise hyssop, shasta daisy “white breeze,” sage, clary sage, “stormy seas” coral bells,). Rhubarb. Glycerin and honey soap, beeswax hand creams and lip balms.
Kelsie’s K-9 Creations (Jennifer Anderson —Call/text 740-572-2285): featuring healthy, limited ingredient cookies and treats for your 4 legged friends.
Persinger Produce and Cottage Food (Julie Mosny & David Persinger): The Pie Lady –Honey, Cinni Mini’s, cinnamon rolls, assorted small fruit pies, iced sugar cookies, banana cake with caramel icing. The Jam Man will have assorted jams, jellies including no-sugar added apple butter and pineapple habanero.
Bridge View Garden (Hunter & Lorelle Rohrer, 740-505-5125): Spring garden plants, flowers, hanging baskets, fresh produce (rhubarb, radishes, green onions).
Katrina Bush is a vendor with the Fayette County Farmers Market.
