It’s official. The Park Board gave us their blessing this week
to hold Winter Market at the market pavilion on Saturday mornings. In October,
we’ll be at the pavilion on Fridays and Saturdays. November through early April
we’ll go to Saturdays only – 9 am to noon.
About six years ago we started our Winter Market. It was the
brain child of Nancy Rasmussen of Sunny Lane Farm. As a rancher, she has
product all year round and needed a place to sell her beef, chicken and lamb.
Those first few years, the market was pretty small, mostly meat
vendors and bakers with a little produce at the beginning and end of the winter
season. We only met twice a month and Nancy took care of management. By the
third year sales had increased to the point that Nancy could no longer run her
own stand and the market too, so at her request, I stepped in. Last year
volunteer Janet Taylor took on much of the management responsibilities.
Our third year, the winter of 2010-11, we grew a little more
and it was REALLY cold. Only two market days were above 40 degrees. Twice I had
to sweep snow out of the pavilion before opening and once we had to cancel due
to over a foot of snow.
That sent us to the Clubhouse for the next two years of winter
market. Changing locations was confusing for our customers and crowded for our
vendors but it was warm, except the poor meat vendors who were stuck with their
trailers outside. But don’t feel too badly for them, they had heaters inside
those trailers.
Then in spring of 2012, city economic director Chuck Surface
contacted me about a grant for the market. I supplied him with documentation
and photos of the market, its sales, and vendor and customer numbers. Lo and
behold, the US Department of Agriculture gave the city funds to by rubberized
canvas sidings for the pavilion and large portable heaters in order to extend
the market season.
The sidings couldn’t have come at a better time. We had
seriously outgrown the Clubhouse. After our winter production conference last
year we knew that we’d have at least twice as many winter growers at the market
this year and probably more. And we barely had room for the growers we had last
year.
Another critical reason for returning winter market is that the
Clubhouse is not available to us on Saturdays. That is the most popular day to
rent the Clubhouse for parties and events so it was just not an option to tie
it up with the market every week (we went to every Friday last year).
Why the move from Fridays to Saturdays for winter market? For the last several years many customers
have asked us to stay open on Saturdays. Their work schedule just didn’t permit
them to shop during the day on Fridays. For example, the school administration,
as great as they are, won’t let teachers pop out to stock up on Swiss chard and
broccoli.
The deciding factor was sales. Friday market sales had, since
the beginning, been much higher than the other days, two and three times as
much. Saturdays have been growing, but even last summer Saturday saw only 70%
of the sales that Friday produced. Not so this year. Saturday finally burst
past Friday and is now our biggest sales day of the week. It may not feel as busy
because our Saturday crowd doesn’t seem compelled to do all their shopping in
the first 20 minutes of market but the crowd is much steady. I rejoice when I
look down the pavilion at 10 minutes till noon on Saturdays and it’s still full
of customers – and produce. That’s one reason Saturdays have grown so much. Our
farmers are finally producing enough to have full tables two days in a row. It
took a while to build up to that.
Today at the market you can enjoy the music of the Granny
Chicks, polkas are guaranteed. Granny Shaffers at the Market is serving
homestyle chicken and noodles, chicken salad sandwiches and fruit plates. Extension
is demonstrating “Sweet Potatoes Four Ways”. The basic preparation is the same
for each recipe, but the spices vary. Try them all and pick your favorite. Patrick
Byers and Shon Bishop, with University of Missouri and Lincoln University
Extension, will be on hand dispensing gardening and growing advice. Larry
Cassatt comes to the market for the first time this season with his melons. Terrell
Creek is back with goat cheese. Fair Haven is bringing 80 dozen ears of shucked
corn. Just toss them into boiling water. Josh Flager and Courtney Luthi will
each have big gorgeous mums for sale today and tomorrow. We’ve been having
plenty of farm-fresh eggs on both Friday and Saturday so pick up a dozen. They
are great scrambled or fried.
Tomorrow William Adkins takes the market stage. The Friends of
the Webb City Public Library serve breakfast until 11. Market Lady Susan
Pittman demonstrates Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta and Fire-and-Ice Tomatoes. Craig
Hansen of Hillside Farm in Carthage returns with his elephant garlic tomorrow. He’ll
only be here a couple of times this year so don’t miss him. (that's a photo of his garlic above.)
Just two more “Easy Tuesdays” left this year. Marshall Mitchell
performs western and cowboy music. Granny Shaffers at the Market serves freshly
grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken salad sandwiches and fruit plates.
The market is open on Friday and Tuesday from 11 to 2 and on
Saturday from 9 to noon.
See you there!
