Thursday, June 24, 2010

What's In Store...for June 26th

Although we had hit somewhat of a lull between bedding plants and fresh produce, that slump is over. Produce started pouring into the Market last weekend, and this weekend promises some of the same great vendors and even more zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, and beets. Here are the produce vendors for this weekend:

Steve Heuer-zucchini, potatoes, beets, and more
Julie's Produce-zucchini, beets, cabbage, black beans, and cucumbers
Kurt E. Lantz-guineas and eggs
Bardenheier Wine Cellars-wine
St. Andrew's UMC-baked muffins and coffee
DAP's General Goods-spice mixes and baking mixes
Team Millers Homestead-produce, baked goods, and crafts
The Patchwork Attic-fruit jams, fudge, and baked items
Dan Buttry-wooden trellises and assorted produce
Grandma MB's Baked Goods-cookies, breads, and pies
Jill and Dan Lutz-peppers, eggplants, and zucchini
Sarah Jabr-goats and bunnies
Primrose Herbs and Gifts-jellies, soaps, and plants

We also have a few artisans this weekend:
Padre's Gallery-oil paintings
Stuart J. Lippman-birdhouses and other wooden items
Harold Underwood-wood crafts and flower baskets
Nick Stateler-cedar furniture and outdoor decor

Bring in your bugs, wanted and unwanted, for identification from the Bug Doctor. He'll be there, along with Healing Hands Chiropractic, another sponsor of the Market.

Of special note this week as well is Kurt Lantz's booth. Did you notice that he's planning on bringing guineas to sell along with the eggs he normally has. If you've ever wanted one of these lovely feathered creatures, this might be the prefect chance.

Bardenheier Winery will also be on hand this weekend. They're our first winery, and we're excited that they are coming. We can't do wine tastings because of various regulations, but they'll have some available for purchase and will be able to tell you about how they process their grapes just down the road in Richwoods, Missouri.

There's a lot going on this weekend, so we hope you can join us!

Vendor Spotlight



For this edition of Vendor Spotlight, we'd like to focus on Grandma MB's Baked Goods. She's a delightful cook, a fabulous dresser, and her apron it simply too cute! You might know her as Mary Chipps, the lady who bakes wonderful breads, pies, cookies, and cakes, but what else do you know about her?



Mary sells at the De Soto Farmers' Market because she thinks it is important to support local farmers and artisans. Although she's a first-year vendor at the Market, her goals are similar to those of other vendors: make a little money and learn about what works and what doesn't. Her biggest challenge is making enough product to keep her customers happy.



She sells at the Crystal City Farmers' Market on Wednesday evenings, as well as her booth at our market on Saturdays. Like so many customers and vendors, Mary likes the atmosphere of the Market; getting to know return customers and what they like, meeting vendors who have unique and interesting backgrounds, and basically visiting with so many good folks! It's what makes the De Soto Farmers' Market such a rewarding experience, and we're happy that Grandma MB's Baked Goods is a part of it.

Free Gift

This blog post is specially targeted to those who do not subscribe to the De Soto Farmers' Market blog: if you will subscribe to the blog, you'll get a free gift. Here's how you do it:

  1. Go to the blog (really difficult step, since you're already here), and find the "Subscribe" box on the right hand side.

  2. Enter your email address into the box.

  3. A new window will open that wants you to verify that you're a person and not some malicious computer doing the bidding of disreputable spammers. Type the letters that you see into the verification box.

  4. You will then receive an email that wants you to confirm that you want to subscribe to our blog. That email will come from Feedburner Email Subscriptions and will have the subject: Activate your Email Subscription to: De Soto Farmers' Market.

  5. Click on the link within that email to confirm your subscription to the blog.

  6. Now, print that email and bring it to the Market Master Tent any Saturday morning. You will receive a wonderful free gift, and be able to know about all the very cool things happening at the De Soto Farmers' Market.

...and GO! We'll see you Saturday.

Pastor Darlene Payne Receives Award



On Saturday, June 26th at 10AM, there will be a short Awards Ceremony at the Market. Pastor Darlene Payne will receive an award from the Missouri Department of Agriculture for Champion of the Year for her work with the De Soto Farmers' Market. Sarah Gehring from AgriMissouri will be on hand to present the award, and we hope all of you can attend to cheer on our very own Champion!

Music This Weekend












Look at some of our fabulous musicians! They'll be back this weekend from 9-11 AM. The Back Lot Porch Band will be a pleasure to hear while you're chasing small children through the obstacle course, purchasing some tender young zucchini, or wishing your wife hadn't hit you so hard in the boxing bounce house. Feel free to come and relax for a few minutes and enjoy the music!

So Sorry

For those of you that had small children ready for pony rides last weekend, we are deeply sorry. The heat just wasn't conducive to having horses in a trailer for the trip to and from the Market. We will try again though, so be on the lookout for information about when we'll give it another go. We are shooting for sometime in July, but we're hoping for temperatures under 90. Thanks for your patience with us, and once again, sorry for any disappointment it may have caused.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Trails Around the Market

Our June 26th Special Event, Trails Around the Market will showcase many opportunities to get moving at your own pace. Several surrounding streets will be closed for a run, bikeride, or leisurely stroll. Kids can run an obstacle course, then for a $1 donation get their face painted by Bordeaux Dance Studio. The Kids' Safe House will teach children how to safely escape a burning home, and jump ropes and hula hoops will be around for all ages. Parachute play activites are open to the whole family, and courts for Volleyball and Badminton will await your playtime. Try Tai chi from 8am-9:30am; a free-flowing, low-impact martial art suitable for those who prefer a slow pace. Watch yourself though; Thai chi can be challenging enough to give a fit 20 year old a reason to push themselves. Zumba Especial will inspire us all with the abilites of those with special needs from 10am-10:15am, and the rousing rythmns of Zumba start at 10:15am and run through 11am. You might try to reduce your stress with Yoga from 11am till noon as well!

For the hoops crowd, BBall is available for full play or practicing free throws (HORSE anyone?). For those who wish to try their aim, two washers stations have been donated by a vendor, and if you wish to try your hand at boxing, a bounce boxing ring with huge inflated padded gloves is available. (Not recommended for resolving marital disputes.)

There is something for everyone to get moving!


Location:
Adjacent to the De Soto Farmers’ Market on Mineral St. (Between Washington and Donnelly) and 10th St. (Between Mineral St. and Dale).

Parking:
Red portions of the streets will be closed.
Parking available on all other portions.

For more information: Call Debby Campbell at 636-586-4570.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Tuesday night's Pest Management class was well attended by vendors and backyard growers. Dr. Lee Eavy, Entomologist (or as you know him at the market, The Bug Doctor), discussed the importance of integrated pest management in regards to organic growing. We discussed the importance of good soil rich in micro-organisms and how to handle those pesky squash bugs. Sorry, folks no simple, fast and quick solutions to that foe. However, you may have noticed that Japanese Beetles are on the prowl. The Bug Doctor informed us that traps set out down wind of our gardens will help reduce the Japanese Beetle population. (Just be sure to empty the traps on a daily basis, sending the beetles into a bucket of soapy water!) Samples of unidentified critters were brought in to be identified as friend or foe.

If you could not make this workshop, but are interested in learning more about growing for yourself or the market keep a lookout for notices regarding our upcoming bramble workshop and local farm tours!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What's in Store...for June 19th

Here's the line-up for this weekend:
The Back Lot Porch Band will be performing from 9-11AM. (It's going to be hot, so we're thankful the musicians are as committed as the vendors.)

We'll also have some more great produce:
  • Team Millers Homstead with fresh bread, veggies, and other treats
  • Pauline Seidl with fresh produce and artisan products
  • Steve Heuer with fresh onions, cabbage, cucumbers, zuchinni, beets and new potatoes
  • The Rep. Room with plants, eggs, and baked goods
  • Carter's Produce with fresh turnips, new potatoes, squash, beets and cabbage
  • First United Methodist Church with baked goods
  • DAP's General Goods with baking and soup mixes, among other things
  • Fischer Creek Farm - green beans, onions, latino zuchinii, cabbage, eggs, flower, tomato and herb plants

Some artisans will also be at the market this weekend:

  • Harold Underwood - wood working items
  • Pam and Stuart's Old Time Crafts - knitted items and bird/butterfly houses
  • Mike Trombly - planters
  • Karen Allsion - cute livestock bags and shirts

We'll see you Saturday!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Silent Auction at Kress Farms

Kress Farm"THIS OLD HOUSE" Silent Auction
Sunday, June 13, 2010 from 1-3 PM.
Tickets cost $15.00 and include:
  • Dinner, Drinks, and Dessert
  • Tour of the gardens and trails
  • Wonderful auction items--gift baskets for gardening, sports, romance, gift certificates, and services.
Funds raised will go toward the renovation of Dr. Kress's old farmhouse!
Information and Tickets-call Carmelita 636-931-2395.
Kress Farm is located on Glade Chapel Road north of Hillsboro at 5137 Glade Chapel Rd.

Recipes

We have extended the deadlines for recipe submissions and we now have about 90 recipes. I just received one for Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake that looks heavenly. Remember, you can submit your recipes by email to Carrie at the Health Department or bring them to the Market on Saturday. We'd like to have 120 recipes to sort through for the cookbook. We'll see you soon.

Landscaping Around the Bandstand

Some local 4-H youth and adult volunteers helped to plant flowers and bushes around the bandstand last weekend. Despite the heat, shovels worked away to make room for several lillies and some decorative shrubs.














Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Pony Rides at the Market

The Jefferson and Franklin County Horse Bowl Team has won the Missouri State Horse Bowl Competition. They now have the privilege to compete in the National Horse Bowl Competition in Lexington, Kentucky and would like to raise money for their trip. Starting June 19th (and continuing every third Saturday through October), they will offer pony rides at the Market from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. They will be bringing two horses that are well-trained and calm and will charge $1.50 for one large lap around the grassy area at the Market. Helmets will be provided and required for children who are riding. Only children eight and over will be allowed to ride due to insurance restrictions. Younger kids will be able to pet and feed
animals though because the girls are going to bring some Miniature Horses, baby goats, chickens, and bunnies as well.

This is a good opportunity to support some local youth who excel at working with animals, and we hope that you'll come out and take a lap. The following girls are members of the Jefferson and Franklin County Horse Bowl Team: Ashleigh Redman, Kat Miller, Emma Knickmeyer, and Rebekah Redman.

In case you aren't familiar with Horse Bowl Competitions, here's the objective from the 4-H Horsemanship Manual. "The primary objective of Horse Bowl contests is to provide an opportunity for youth enrolled in 4-H horse projects to demonstrate their knowledge of equine related subject matter in a competitive setting where attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail. It is also hoped that these contests will provide an educational experience for both participants and spectators." The questions covered in the competitions hit on these categories:
a. Nutrition and Feeds
b. Breeding, Genetics, and Reproduction
c. Anatomy-Parts of the Horse
d. Physiology-Body Systems
e. History and Evolution
f. Training and Psychology
g. Showing, Show Procedures and Uses
h. Diseases and Unsoundnesses
i. Parasitology
j. Horse Judging, Conformation and Gaits
k. Tack, Equipment, and Housing
l. Breeds, Breed Associations, colors & markings

And just so you know how serious these competitions are, you can download the 37 page manual about how competitions are set-up and scored by going to this website: http://4h.missouri.edu/events/horse/docs/bowlguide.pdf. And this is just the manual for Missouri!

What's in Store...for June 12th

This weekend, we have an exciting line-up of vendors for the Market. This is also an Art Mart weekend, so there will be one section of the Market for agricultural vendors and a separate section for various artisans. There will be two other dates for Art Mart's later in the season, so if you need interesting gifts for those hard-to-buy-for folks (or if you just want to check out some fabulous artisans), write these dates down:
  • Obviously, this weekend: June 12th
  • August 14th
  • October 9th
This Saturday, we'll have the follow vendors with produce, bedding plants, and food items:
  • Bill Heincker with maple syrup and molasses
  • DAP's General Goods with baking mixes
  • Kurt Lantz and Tracy Brodt with plants and eggs
  • Needsmore Farm with plants
  • St. Andrew's Mission Ladies with muffins and coffee
  • Steve Heuer with plants
  • Team Miller Homestead with fresh breads, cookies, and early produce
In addition, we'll have the following artisans as part of the Art Mart:

  • Au Naturale Jewelry with hand-crafted necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, some pottery and photography as well
  • Grandma Mb's Baked Goods with cookies, breads, and other tasty treats
  • Harold Underwood with birdhouses and wooden lawn art
  • Karen Allison with t-shirts and bags decorated with pictures of their goats
  • Lisa Uzzle with soy candles
  • Padre's Gallery with oil paintings
  • Pauline Seidl with decorated wine bottles, key chains, bracelets, and novelty signs.
  • Rhonda Lawson with glass tile necklaces
  • Stuart J. Lippman with birdhouses, bird feeders, butterly houses, bathouses, crocheted baby items, hats, scarves, and blankets
  • Wood Unlimited with cedar furniture and outdoor art
A couple of sponsors for the Market will also be on-hand. Dr. Eavy, the Bug Doctor will be available to take questions about pests in your gardens, and Charman Gans, from Healing Hands Chiropractic, will also be at the Market.

Canning Classes Scheduled

Two canning classes have been scheduled for this summer. The first involves making Jams & Jellies and will held on Tuesday, June 29th. Mary Schroepfer, a Nutrition Specialist with University of Missouri Extension, will be teaching the class, and she has wonderful knowledge about how to safely and beautifully preserve various foods. She is a true artisan in the world of canning and taught a couple of classes for us last year.


The second class that we will be hosting is Tuesday, July 20th. This class will focus on pressure canning and how to safely preserve green beans, carrots, and other items that need more than just hot water canning techniques. Mary will also teach this class, and we'll send out a reminder when we get closer to the date.


Both classes will begin at 6:30 PM, and registration is required. The cost for each class is $5. Attending the first class isn't a prerequisite for the second, so please feel free to register for either one or both classes.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Pest Management Class

June is the time of year when our garden starts to take off in more ways then one. It's also the time of year we start to notice some unwanted guests. Please join us on June 15th, at 6:30 pm, at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (1004 Rock Rd, De Soto, MO) to discuss Pests with Dr. Eavy, the Bug Doctor.

Bring examples of your bugs or garden/yard damage, and we will discuss what they are and the best way to manage these garden invaders.

The class is free of charge, but healthy snacks to share are welcomed.

Please let us know if you plan on attending what should be an interesting evening!

buyfreshlocal@gmail.com

Thursday, June 3, 2010

What's in Store...for June 5th

At the Market this week, we will have special music from 9-11 provided by Ed Null. We'll also have a star-studded line-up of vendors as well. Here's who's committed so far:


Needs More Farm - shrubs and perennials


Fischer Creek Farms - swiss chard, zucchini, peas, green onions, eggs, heirloom vegetable and flower bedding plants

Team Millers Homestead - cool season produce, honey, baked goods, crafts and cookies
Robert Noack - bird, bat, butterfly, bee and lady bug houses. Homemade cookies, desserts and dog treats

Bill Heincker - maple and sorghum syrups

Carter's Produce - radishes, green onions, lettuce,and other cool season produce along with blackberry plants

Steve Heuer - Cal Wonder & Jalapeno Pepper plants, Marglobe, Beefstake, Beefmaster, Big Boy and Sweet 100s tomato plants

St. Andrew's United Methodist Church - baked goods and coffee

Grandma Mb's Baked Goods - breads, muffins, cookies, and cakes

Healing Hands Chiropractic - free screenings

Stuart and Pam's Old Time Crafts

*Tammy Payton - daylilly plants galore!

Homemade - Simple by Suz and Jay - baked goods and convenient mixes

*Lalk's Berry Farm - Blueberries and Cobblers

Cutie Pies - pies, breads and desserts

Ray Underwood - hand crafted items


Deadline Extended

If you meant to submit your recipes for the Market Cookbook and didn't get them turned in by May 31st, you're in luck! We still need several recipes, so we've decided to continue to accept them until June 19th. We have received several in various categories, but we really would like your recipes for main dishes, soups, and kid-friendly items. Of course, we'll look over all recipes submitted, so don't feel like you are constrained to those categories. We'd like to get 80 more recipes in the next three weeks, so please submit them to Carrie via email at carrie.weatherholt@jeffcohealth.org. She's keeping our running list of recipes and who submitted them.




Thanks in advance for your submissions.