Saturday’s market brings a new month – March –
the month of St. Patty’s Day. How appropriate because the market will be filled
with green. We won’t necessarily be wearing it, but we will certainly be eating
it. This is high season for greens with many kinds of lettuce, kale, spinach,
microgreens, wheat grass, arugula, mizuna, cilantro and more. (Right - lettuce seedlings ready for planting in one of the Oakwoods high tunnels.)
Of course, we’ll also have other lovely local
produce as well, like radishes, carrots, sweet potatoes, green onions, plus goodies
like pecans, jams and jellies, freshly roasted coffee beans, baked goods, honey
and all-natural meats.
Special activities at the market Saturday
include free rides on Old No. 60, the restored streetcar and music by William
Adkins on the market’s center stage. The chess and checkers will be set up nearby
for some hotly contested games. Ghetto Taco will have their breakfast of
biscuit and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausages and hashbrown casserole. They’ll
have vegetable beef soup for eat-in or take-out.
Our members met for their annual meeting last
Saturday and set the opening date for the regular season – Saturday, April 21. After
that we’ll be open on Tuesdays from 4 to 7 pm, Thursdays from 11 to 2 pm and,
of course, Saturdays from 9 to noon.
I picked up some produce for a TV segment at
Oakwoods Farm yesterday. It was a beautiful day and I thought my mother would
enjoy a ride out to the country. I was right, we both enjoyed it.
Things were busy at the farm. While my mother
waited in the car, entertained by the farm cat exploring the windshield, Karen
harvested my veggies for TV. Doug was taking advantage of the calm day by
installing plastic on their newest high tunnel (above). That will make three for them
and the new one is coming on line none too soon. With Oakwoods’ loyal customers
at the market, plus their restaurant and specialty store sales they need to increase
production and the new tunnel will help them do that.
They will be at the market Saturday with their
beautiful greens, along with other farmers, ranchers and vendors. Come start
March out green!
