Mid Season Already?

I have said before that commenting on 'how fast things are going' only makes them move faster. But this comment needs to be said: This Saturday is the 13th of 26 Saturdays for the 2010 Market Season -the half way mark. I want it to slow down. Slow food, savoured memories, bounty shared. We had an amazing market last Saturday. Several produce vendors sold out, the breakfast sandwich crew barely had a chance to look up from the griddle, and the coffee guys were brewing fresh java non-stop.

The coffee story is a little different this week. Jason and Greg from Part Time Peasant are away this weekend, but they have worked out a way to continue to provide their fresh brew and to give back in a very connected way. I have mentioned many times about my Mom (Sandy) and my Aunt (Patti) going to Nicarauga with PanMissions to teach women to sew and to help build sustainable business practices there. Jason has donated all coffee, supplies, and profits this week to Sandy and Patti to help towards their costs of participating in the mission trip. To further help them out, Ray and Sandy from Farmgate Markets are also donating $1 from each breakfast sandwich sold on Saturday to the cause. To make things a little easier on the ladies, they are only brewing the Peasant Blend coffee and selling the same blend beans.

Starting this weekend, Fresh Fest will have an outdoor booth selling tickets for their second annual event. Look for their booth in the far pavilion. The market will have an information booth at the Fresh Fest event, being held on Thursday, August 26 at the CASO station. They have another exciting venue lined up including the lauch of Savour Elgin, our new culinary tourism event of the county.

Erie Gardens and the Kids Kraft Korner will be at the market this Saturday then taking most of August off. If the fall mums bloom in-line with everything else this year - early - the will likely be back the last weekend in August. Remember peach pie? The Senior Centre team will be there this week selling their now famous peach pies. Grab one early as they tend to go quickly!

Congratulations to Tammy Herrig who won the customer appreciation draw for this week. As promised in an earlier newsletter, we managed to get a photo of one of the winners. This is from a few weeks ago when Carl Bagshaw won the basket. Everyone always comments on the shopping I have been doing when they see me walking around with the green bucket. It's overflowing with prizes for the draw which happens every week!


I remember going to the market with my mom when I was a child. We lived a few doors down on Manitoba street and at that time I could barely see over the tops of the green tables that used to line what is now the parking lot. The building was closed and boarded up and I often wondered what stories were held within those walls and dusty windows. Every Saturday we relive some of those market memories of yester-year and are creating many new ones.

Look forward to seeing you at the market!

Cheers,


Tricia Herbert
Market Manager
St. Thomas Horton Farmers' Market
2 Manitoba St., St. Thomas, ON
http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/
www.hortonmarket@hotmail.com

Welcome to the new members of this newsletter who have signed up this season. Each week I add a few more names to the growing list from those who designate it on the customer appreciation draw ballots. This past week was a record with 15 new names added. Be sure to puruse through previous posts at the blog to find out what's been happening at the Horton Farmers' Market this year.

You may have started canning already. Look for pickling cukes and garlic, free-stone peaches, and maybe a little salsa. The barbeque should be well seasoned by now - don't forget Oegema's Turkey Shoppe has four different flavours of turkey burgers in the freezer. And Ray at Farmgates almost always has a new brand of sausage to try.

Donna handcrafts all her jewlery at SUSQI Designs - she's having a summer holiday sale this weekend on all her bracelets and earrings (her holidays start after this Saturday's market). That is the other thing you might notice - the vendors get to have holidays too. Martin's Produce are away this week, returning next saturday, as well as the PAN Mission fundraising team of Pat and Sandy.

I keep track of certain stats on a weekly basis including number of vendors, estimated revenue generated by the vendors, and stall rental receipts. All of the numbers are up again this year, at our almost midway mark (July 31st is the 13th of 26 Saturdays). I see lots of new faces every Saturday and I continue to hear stories of how the market is like it used to be - a guaranteed social gathering every Saturday morning. I continue to be awed by that factor as well - I love going to the market!

Congratulations to Sue Koroscil who won the customer appreciation draw for this week. The bucket is always overflowing and the winners always very grateful to the vendors for their gifts. I send the 'Thanks' both ways. I have little else to say - odd, I know.

Life is good. See you at the market!

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

2 Manitoba St, St. Thomas, ON

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

Standing Room Only....

The St. Thomas Public Library has done this really cool thing for the market - they brought Wi-Fi! They have a booth there every week where you can purchase used books and borrow the latest titles. Bring your laptop and sit for a breakfast sandwich or two and just absorb the market buzz. It did get a little warm last week with the sun bearing down on the tables out front - don't forget about the outdoor cafe area in the far pavilion. I will be bringing more tables and chairs out to that area so we have a little more shelter for folks to linger. ( FYI no accessible hydro hookup)

Well, I do believe this weekend we will hit capacity - vendor standing room only! I have had several requests from vendors wishing to start at the market this week. R-Grow farms is returning with sweet corn and melons. Monkia, Anita and Joe are excited to be returning a few weeks early - Monika called me from the field to say they will have the two large tables in the North Pavilion. Mark Wales is returning with garlic, blueberries, and yellow beans. And the Treat Ladies are starting inside - they have told me of carmalized apples, baked pretzels, and all things yummy. Add a few more craft vendors selling handmade birdhouses and children's pillows for a well rounded mix. I will be starting that vendor waiting list in earnest after this weekend. That is exciting to see our reputation growing.

With 40 or so vendors plus all the enquires I field during the week, there is much information and details that are shared. I know there will be peaches from Ralph Troup this week, lots of greens still with McSmiths, and blueberries from Bluegroves. I inhaled 2 pints by Sunday afternoon. And of course, my latest addiction, the scones from Green Leaf Pastries. Last week I bought 2 blueberry and 2 cheese and onion scones- I remember every morsel of each scone. That good. (Photo on the left - a few of my favourite market go-ers and future market managers :-)

I will be spending a little time rearranging the vendors to fit everyone in so please be sure to stop and say hi to everyone and find them all. Nothing too drastic - I know we are creatures of habit.

Bring a friend, stay for a coffee and memories shared. Take home fresh, local products and crafts and enjoy. Please pass this along to anyone who may be interested - we are over 550 members strong and I do not share that list with anyone.

Cheers and see you soon,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

519-777-9529

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

hortonmarket@hotmail.com

More vendors at the market....

With my position as Market Manager comes many perks and a few challenges. I mention the perks often enough and sometimes I hint about the challenges. The perks flow from a central theme - that of connection. Whether we realize it or not, much of our social connections are made through the food we eat. We bond with family, friends, and community often over a shared cup of coffee and a good meal. Every Saturday morning, I look forward to having that first cup of coffee (The Peasant Blend from Jason and Greg) and a breakfast sandwich (from Farmgates) hot off the grill. Because I am there at 6am, I have had a good hour and a half to think about breakfast. I try not to bug the guys too much with my question: "Is it ready yet?"

The challenges stem from the combination of two words: Food and Politics. Enough said.

DeBackere's Farm is starting their 2010 market season this week back in the south pavilion. Some of the produce they are bringing includes peppers, zuchini, green beans, tomatoes, and sweet corn. Yes, corn. Can you believe it? Early crops are a puzzler - a good sign or a not so good sign? Just one of the many questions you can ask the grower direct.

I am finishing off the cherries from last Saturday (the cherry season is almost done so if you see any this weekend grab them while you can) and breakfast all week consisted of raspberries and blueberries with yogurt and granola. I also took home a fresh-baked scone from Green Leaf Pasteries last week - Kim made those scones with love that left me wising I had purchased more than one.

Last week we had 35 vendors at the market. With a few more new vendors coming in by the end of July we should hit 40. I say this here to give you fair warning - prepare to spend more time at the market. I know people come before work, before yoga class, and after an early bird yard-sale tour. Last week we had a group of friends congregate at the indoor cafe - they helped me close the place up. Lingering for that last bit of laughter shared over samples of chocolate.

And about that chocolate. Sharon Jackson and Eleanor Warren will be returning this week to fundraise for a mission trip to Nicaragua. They are sampling their Xocai healthy dark chocolate and selling 50/50 tickets to support the PAN Mission group. My Mom (Sandy) and my Aunt (Patti) are a part of this year's mission group that are heading to Nicaragua in August to teach women to sew and market their business. Sharon and Eleanor are inside the building raising funds and awareness for the entire mission; Sandy and Patti will have a booth outside selling items they have sewn to help raise funds for their own expenses to be a part of the mission trip.

Congratulations to Carl Bagshaw who won the customer appreciation draw for this week. Everyone who has won the basket is overwhelmed by the bounty of the vendor's gifts. Many of the vendors also read this post so I pass on the Thanks to them.

With the increase in vendors and hence customers at the market there is an increase in the number of four legged friends at the market. I have fielded many concerns about dogs in the market pavilions. They are not allowed in the building and signs are posted at both entrances to this effect. The concerns raised about dogs in the pavilions include having them in close proximity to food, dogs loudly voicing their opinions about other dogs, and the crowding that happens with lots of dogs and lots of people. I am a dog lover at heart but I see both sides of this scenario. If possible please leave your furry friends at home or stay with them around the outskirts of the pavilions. I would love to have a place in the shade to wait with the dogs but our property is not able to accomodate that. We are looking into regulations regarding this topic but in the meantime..... Many Thanks.

So it is that I have written another lengthy post; always signing off with so much more to say and not enough room to say it all. We can chat about it at the market.

See you there,

Cheers,

Tricia Herbert

Market Manager

St. Thomas Horton Farmers' Market

http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

hortonmarket@hotmail.com