If you think Missouri’s weather is wild, come with me to the
foothills of the Rockies in Colorado. I’m making one of my last off-season
visits to my daughter Emily who lives near Denver – let’s face it, the real
attraction is her little Wyatt who turned three months this week. On Monday,
the weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. The same on Tuesday. On Wednesday we
woke up to over a foot of snow and blizzard conditions. I was sure glad I ran
my errands on Tuesday and that I could delay my return to Missouri until the
roads cleared.
In Missouri we have had our own fair share of weather swings
this spring. The swing I watch for most carefully if it gets below 28 degrees
for more than four hours. That dooms the peach crop once it has bloomed out. So
far, so good.
Until this year, the market board allowed our primary peach vendor
to bring in peaches if the crop was lost. That’s happened twice since the
market opened and, while the peaches brought in have been good, sometimes very
good, they can’t match a local peach which can be so good that superlatives are
not adequate. However, the board has decided from here on out, there will be no
re-selling of peaches when the crop fails. We are a producer-only market and we
will no longer bend the rule for any crop.
When the sweet corn crop and the tomato crop fails, as each has done at
least once, we do not allow those to be brought in from other areas. The same
will apply to all crops no, even our beloved peaches. So we are certainly
hoping for a good year for all crops and between me and you, I think this will
be an exceptionally good year, for which we are long overdue.
Our growers are prepared, trained, equipped and committed to
bringing you the best of what they grow. And the weather looks promising. If
all holds as it has, we’ll have peaches ten day early this year, and asparagus
two weeks early. And, yes, that means we’ll see asparagus very soon!
We still have an abundance of eggs. The longer daylight hours
and milder weather puts them in an egg-laying mood. And we have loads of
beautiful greens, and in smaller supply watercress, radishes, green onions,
beets, carrots and more.
Mabel with Harmony Hill Farm is getting us ready for Cooking
for a Cause which begins on April 23 by fixing us breakfast for the next four
Saturdays. She’ll have a biscuit and gravy for $2.50. A cooked-to-order farm
fresh egg is an additional 50 cents.
Drew Pommert graces the market stage tomorrow with his soft
popular tunes and classical guitar.
Master Gardeners Debbie Fedie and Eric Osen will help each
child plant a large peat pot with either green bean or sunflower seeds. After
the seeds sprout and grow for about six weeks by a sunny window, pot and all
can be planted outside in the garden. This is free for all children. (photo - from last week's activity - planting fingerling potatoes)
The market board, main volunteers and manager meet tomorrow
afternoon to do the first long-term strategizing in the history of the market.
We want to set goals for the market for five and ten years out, what should it
look like, why, and how do we get there?
It’s an ambitious agenda and we don’t presume that it’s more than a
beginning. We’ve gotten where we are by planning year to year, sometimes
month-to-month. In year 16, it is time to acknowledge the market is here to
stay. If you have thoughts on the subject, share them with us at the
information table at the market or on Facebook.
We’ll see you at the market tomorrow!
