This year’s parade was smaller than previous years, but you couldn’t tell from all the happy faces. Here’s what I saw:

As far as the parade participants, I’ll let you decide who had the coolest costumes:

the Farmers Market Cow gets my vote

OR

re-enactors of the Recent Unpleasantness

Chatauqua runs all week. Click the link on my blog roll to access the Festival website to check on daily events. This is truly a unique celebration. It’s all about friends and neighbors coming together to enjoy each other and the beautiful place we live.

P.S. Happy Father’s Day!

The Wytheville Farmer’s Market successfully launched its 3rd season Saturday, and all indications are that this will be the best season yet. Located in the old R.P. Johnson parking lot on Main Street, the Market is sponsored by H.O.P.E. Ministries (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence) and the Wythe/Bland Community Foundation. The Market is under the enthusiastic leadership of full time director, Suzie Richert (276-389-9306) (wythevillefarmersmarket@live.com)

Virginia grown organic vegetables and herbs, grass-fed beef, free range eggs, home baked goods, flowers, handmade crafts…this year’s market has it all.

Home Gardener George Krause with some of his organic produce

Several of the vendors, Anderson Grass Fed Beef, and Lazy Bee Farm, we have encountered before at other locations and can attest to the quality of their products. Lazy Bee’s sourdough bread makes excellent French toast.

Martha Holder of Lazy Bee Farm in black tee-shirt

For two people who don’t eat a lot of red meat,  Anne and I have a goodly amount of hormone-free, grass-fed beef in the freezer thanks to small producers like Cassell Family Farm, whose ground beef provided the basis for a yumalicious meatloaf I made last night.

One vendor I would particularly like to point out is Jason Hounshell of Earthganic Greenhouse. Jason was last year’s market director. 100% of his proceeds go to support Crossroads Shelter, a local homeless shelter.

Jason Hounshell

Market Shots

Miss Mattie's Delights

Home baker Sue Govin who has been at the market since the beginning

Dave Richert, Suzi's husband, with some of their Wilder Woods Farm products

Anne and I got there around 9:45 am, which was pretty good for us since Marion is almost an hour from Our Humble Little Cottage. We would have been there earlier, but it took us nearly a half hour once we got into town to find the place. We asked several people for directions. One started with, “It’s right across from Macado’s, only back a few streets…..sorta…..”  If Ken Heath, the market director reads this, I suggest you put a sign that says “TURN LEFT” at the appropriate spot for those of us coming in from exit 45 on I-81, who are unfamiliar with your charming little town, and are directionally challenged.

And it is a charming town with an excellent  market. The vendors we had a chance to talk to were very knowledgeable and informative about their products.  At 10 am there were still enough choice products left that we spent all our cash, and there were still things we wanted to buy.

Farmer’s Markets of one form or another have been around for over a thousand years in Europe and Asia. Here in the USA, they date back to Colonial Days. Contemporary markets are a growing trend in this country. In 1994, the first year that the US Department of Agriculture collected data, there were 1,755 active markets across the country. In 2009, the number had more than tripled to 5,274.

Markets allow producers to cut out the middleman and sell directly to consumers. For  many farmers, they are an important source of income since wholesale prices are often the same or less than the cost of production. Consumers have the opportunity to purchase high quality goods like organic vegetables, free-range meats, homestead cheeses, local honey and jams at reasonable prices. Markets also feature local art and crafts, home baked goods, and flowers and produce from home gardens.

Aimee Dickenson's "Koi Fish" cupcakes

Shelly Sells' handcrafted goat milk soap

The real highlight for me was the opportunity to meet two small producers of grassfed meats: Charlie Clark of Rich Valley Grazers, and Antoinette Goodrich of Laughing Water Farms. Charlie produces beef and pork, and Antoinette offers lamb and veal. I’ve already used products from both farms and can tell you their offerings are superior, some of the best I’ve had in a number of years. While I was a chef, my signature dish was Osso Bucco, an Italian preparation of braised veal shank. Saturday was the first time that I’ve seen veal shank offered in this area. That night I was inspired to fix Osso Bucco braised in white wine and chicken stock with a lemon gremolata, served with a wild mushroom ragout, and polenta garnished with fresh thyme and wild asparagus. Not to pat myself on the back, (which I do every chance I get) dinner was delicious.

Antoinette Goodrich offers a customer a taste of her garlic sprouts

For Sunday lunch, we had cheeseburgers made from Charlie’s ground beef.  Jimmy Buffett doesn’t have a clue what a real “Cheeseburger in Paradise” tastes like unless he’s had a “Charlie Burger” as I now call them.

Charlie Clark, cattle farmer and Chairman of the Smyth County Board of Supervisors

Time ran out before we had a chance visit with every vendor, so we plan to go back soon. This time we’ll get there early.  And bring more cash. The Marion Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from May thru October, 8:00 am-12:00 pm. It is located at the corner of Cherry and Iron Streets in the Town Square parking lot (across from Macado’s, only back a few streets…sorta.)

Market Shots

Aimee Dickenson of "Baby Cakes" and daughter Piper

Martha Holder (left) of Lazy Bee Farm and Shelly Sells of Country Milk "N" Gifts

Seth Taylor and Larrissa Powers

Budding Artist Eleanor Goodrich

Suzanne Capone (on the left) of Omega Lane Farm

The Wytheville Farmers Market seems to be off to a pretty good start. According to Harold Underwood who is the on-site manager, the number of vendors and customers is growing each week. By noon yesterday, 175 plus folks had stopped by, up from 101 total last Saturday. Located in the former RP Johnson & Sons lot at 355 East Main Street, the Market is currently open Saturdays from 7:00 am to 1:00pm, and Tuesdays from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

The market is the result of the collaboration between the Wythe-Bland Community Foundation, the Wytheville Community College Healthy Living Project, the Bland County Board of Supervisors, and the VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. HOPE Inc. (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence), under the direction of Andy Kegley, is the managing agency.

Anne and I arrived at 11:00 am and the remaining vendors were still doing a fair amount of business though the pickins’ were starting to get a little slim. Still, there were some excellent deals on squash, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, cantaloupe, and cabbage. Sue Govin had a few tempting baked goods left and some beautiful honey she was selling for another vendor who couldn’t stay. Pauline Cregger told me that there was a line of 30 – 40 people waiting to get in when the market opened so I guess you should plan on getting there early.

Though our own garden is starting to produce, we still purchased some things for ourselves and to take to friends and family when Anne heads to Maryland today for a week. Alvin Cassell’s tasty cantaloupe was on the dinner table last night sprinkled with some chopped spearmint.

I strongly urge all of you to support this project. Aside from the fact that the products sold here are fresher and cheaper, the money spent at the Market stays in our local economy. Chain grocery stores send 89 cents out of every dollar to other states and other countries. Our farmers are being pressed on every side with increases in the cost of fuel, fertilizer, equipment , recent increases in property taxes and the minimum wage, and tighter credit. Farmer’s Markets give them another source of income and a greater return on investment. If you think relying on foreign oil is a problem, what do you think a total reliance on foreign food would be like?

If you are interested in participating as a vendor, contact Andy Kegley, HOPE, Inc. (toll free 1-877-818-8680 or 276-228-6280, Ext. 211.)

-:-

Pauline Cregger smiles at a comment from another vendor.