Webb City Sentinel market column - 10/22/16

What a fun market we have planned for tomorrow!

Bob Foos will take fall portraits from 9:30 to 11:30 – a package of 8 wallets with two 4x5s or 8 wallets with one 5x7 is $15. We’ve got a backdrop of straw bales, mums and pumpkins all ready. You just need to bring your family or friends and a little cash. And there’s nothing that says you can’t have your photo taken solo either. Seriously, when is the last time you had your portrait made?

Tomorrow is our first ever Sampling Saturday. Here is what you’ll be able to sample:

Oakwoods Farm – chili made with their new mild chili seasoning

Center Creek - pheasant and a green salad mix

Cottage Small Coffee Roasters - coffees

Stewart’s Bakery - mini cinnamon rolls

Fairhaven - pumpkin butter and pumpkin cheesecake dip

Terrell Creek - goat cheese 

King’s Kettle Corn - kettle corn, caramel corn and cheddar corn

Robertson Family Farm - mini blueberry muffins

Sunny Lane - beef sticks, summer sausage and bologna 

Thai Garden - rice and noodle dishes featuring Asian produce

It should be an exceptionally tasty Saturday.

Ricky McFarland will be back at the market with his show cocker spaniels Magic and Sammie. They’ll be set up as they would be at a show right next to the information table. The dogs learn to be more comfortable in a crowd and our customers love meeting them. Ricky keeps hand sanitizer right by his stand so folks can pet the pups and then continue their shopping.

The Geriatrics return to the market with classic country, Western Swing, 50’s and 60’s rock and more. Prior to forming The Geriatrics six years ago, most of the band members had played together for 45 years performing for service members overseas. Together, they have over 300 years of professional music experience.

Stewart’s Bakery serves breakfast:  sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy and hash brown casserole for $5 or a giant cinnamon roll for $3. Either selection includes a choice of coffee or juice.

Since we’re sampling tomorrow, here are a couple of sampling stories:

First – Oakwoods’ new chili seasoning is a direct result of our winter production conference last January. One of the workshops was on making and selling dried products at the market and Oakwoods immediately spotted a way to make the market better and their farm more profitable. This summer they dried their surplus produce, turning what could have been waste into a self stable product. The mix includes dried tomatoes, bell peppers, habanero, garlic and onions from the farm, plus oregano, cumin and sea salt which are not from the farm (not a lot of sea salt being produced in Southwest Missouri). We expect even more results from that conference. A different workshop was on making fermented foods like sauerkraut. Oakwoods is planning to add that to their product line as well.

Second – Extension gave out samples of winged beans on Tuesday, raw with dip. Even though our two farms that grow them brought extra, they still sold out before closing. Our customers really liked winged beans. There should be more tomorrow at the Nature Valley and Lee Family tables.

This Tuesday is our last Tuesday market of the year. We’ll be open from 4 to 6 pm. Rob Pommert will play.

Stewart’s Bakery is having an End of Summer Fish Fry, catfish, potatoes and slaw for $6. Last time Linda did a fish fry at the market she sold out in a hurry so she is doubling up her supply so there will be plenty on Tuesday.

See you at the market tomorrow and Tuesday!