This week brings both the summer solstice (June 20)—the day with the most daylight hours in the year, as well as the full moon (June 24).
The moon actually rises on the 24th mid-afternoon but will not be visible until sunset or shortly thereafter. June’s full Moon is known as the Strawberry Moon and, with a little luck, we will be able to enjoy a long evening of star and moon gazing. A fire ring, some insect repellent, lawn chairs, good company, laughter, and a chance to lean back and look upward and be amazed and celebrate long days, shorter nights, and the extra energy we gain from these days.
Strawberries have been a prized market commodity during these past three weeks or so. But as the “Strawberry Moon” approaches, our June bearing strawberries have finished production, giving way to the slower production of the “ever bearing” or “day neutral” varieties. The ever bearing variety produce fewer berries daily, but over a longer period of time. Unless you have your own strawberry patch, you have likely been purchasing “June bearing” strawberries from your local market vendor.
Customers have lined up for single boxes and eight box flats of strawberries for weeks. They are the inspiration for jam and shortcake and flat out “chow down on as many berries as you can” eating. They inspire Haiku and other poetry. As we leave the Strawberry Moon behind, so also do we leave the crops of spring and move into summer fare… raspberries first, soon followed by beans and summer squash and allium. Every crop has its season.
The Fayette County Farmers 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 $25 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.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.
—Engeti (Alana Walters): Baked goods including dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, cookies.
—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, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, Cracker Jack, salted Carmel bars, butterscotch, snickerdoodle, ginger and double chocolate brownies.
—Little Farmstead Flowers (Eicher family): Fresh cut flowers by the stem or choose a bouquet. Snapdragons, Bells of Ireland, Rudbeckia, Sweet William, Salvia, Gomphrena and more.
—Persinger Produce and Cottage Foods (David Persinger and Julie Mosny): The Pie Lady: local honey, assorted fruit pies and other baked goods.
—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 and other baked goods.
—AG Cutie Farms (A.J. and Grace Armintrout): Farm fresh eggs from right here in Fayette County.
—Bridge View Garden (Hunter and Lorelle Rohrer, 740-505-5125): Red raspberries, green beans, cucumbers, onions, new potatoes, and tomato plants.
—Cloud9D (Nicole Dougherty): Tumblers, slate photos and jewelry with lots of customizable gifts.
—Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Hand poured wax melts in over 60 scents, handmade resin and clay earrings, crochet dish cloths and pot scrubbers. Handmade baby essentials including crocheted baby blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths and crinkle toys, bows and silicone bead and wood teethers.
