Webb City Sentinel market column - 5/30/18

We started our kids meals off with a bang Saturday.  Last year our highest meal count on a Saturday was about 90.  Last Saturday we almost hit 200!  And the amazing part was that our head cook, Kelly, wasn't even phased.  "I fixed for a few extra."  Going to a breakfast for the first hour and a lunch for the last two seems more responsive to family plans.  We thought from the beginning that Saturdays were going to be a busy day for the kids meal and now, with the new schedule, it appears that they will be.  

My grandkids are visiting for a couple of weeks and 2-year-old Wyatt enjoyed his first kids meal yesterday.  He loved the taco, not so much the market veggies.  But he did follow his parents rule and take a bite of the sugar snap peas, cucumber and tomato.  It helped that I took a bite first.  Folks who know say just keep reintroducing new foods to children and they'll come to enjoy them.  I was really pleased that during the state's annual meal training I learned that it was OK for parents to encourage their children by modeling with a bite.  Adults are not to eat the kids' food but if it helps them try the cucumber, sure, Dad, take a little bite and rave!  Also be sure to stop by the MU Extension cooking demo.  The nutrition educators plan to be at the market pretty most Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Yesterday's recipe was kale chips using market kale.  Eden said she had lots of folks surprised to find them tasty.

Tomorrow we're open from 11 to 2.  The free kids meal is served from 11 to 1 and will be beef nachos, market veggies and milk.  Apple Road Farm is serving chicken jambalaya with homemade rolls and dessert for $6.  Just Jake and Corky are on the market stage.  We'll have all our usual Thursday vendors, plus The Red Tamale.  They are doing a great business on Saturday but don't want to miss our weekday customers so they're giving two days a week a try.  Extension is demonstrating kale smoothies.

Saturday is another full day.  The kids meal is biscuit and gravy, orange juice and milk from 9 to 10.  From 10:10 to noon, it is a hot dog, market veggies and milk.  Cooking for a Cause - scrambled farm fresh eggs, sausage, biscuit and gravy, slices of local tomato, hashbrown casserole, coffee or juice for $6 - will benefit the Webb City High School Reddettes.

The Granny Chicks will be on the market stage.  Spiva is bringing Veggie Art to the market.  This fun event is free and lets kids create their own art using market veggies.  Colorful and fun creatures emerge from the pile of squash, zucchini or whatever else is in good supply.  (File photo is of Katey Fredrickson at our zukemobile day a loooong time ago.  Katey is a teenager now!)  

 

What a kid can do with a zuke!  

Another free event that everyone will enjoy is a ride on Old No. 60.  Webb City's restored streetcar will pull out of the depot just west of the market about every 20 minutes from 9 to noon.  The ride through the park only takes about 15 minutes.

We restart our WIC coupon program on Saturday.  Families can bring their WIC coupons once a week to the information table and receive two $5 coupons good for fresh, uncut fruits and vegetables, meat and eggs.  The coupons are good only for the day they are received and, of course, no change is given.  This program is funded through many sources, all private.  Empty Bowls organized by Phoenix Fired Art is the major funder, but we also have done several fundraisers right at the market, Central United Methodist Church makes a monthly donation and individuals chip in too.  We have one long-time customer who drops by a ten dollar bill for the program almost every week.  This is a very popular program and deeply appreciated.  We would love to offer it year round and welcome any additional support - we'll need it just to make it through the summer!  

 

We will be running  our own Empty Bowls fundraiser in June and July - the exact date will be determined by the blackberry harvest.  We think it will be July 18.  Phoenix Fire has given the market hundreds of handcrafted bowls for the fundraiser and Stewart's Bakery has volunteered to organize the contents of the bowls which will feature market blackberries in a delicious dessert.  We'll start displaying bowls in a couple of weeks and we would really like to find some additional locations to display and sell the bowls.  If you have a business or organization that would host a display, please let us know.  We love the idea of combining the visual art of the bowls with the culinary arts of the blackberry dessert with the living art of creating a healthier, most generous community.  Want to help?  Stop by the information table or give me a call at 417 483-8139.

Finally, of course, we'll be open on Tuesday. Stewart's Bakery will serve lasagna, green salad and garlic bread for $6.  Ghetto Taco will have street tacos.  The Free Kids Meal is served from 4:30 to 6:30.  Garrett's Family Farm will be at the market with beef, chicken, pork and farm fresh eggs.  We will welcome a new vendor on Tuesday - Song Lee who makes some of the best egg rolls we've ever tasted.  Tuesday is becoming the meal highlight of the week. (Except, of course, we also have delicious meals on Thursday and Saturday!)

Carol Parker was at the market doing a live remote yesterday and she remarked on the good selection available - from honey, to baked goods, to meals, to lots of growers.  I had to agree.  It's going to be a very good year on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays!  See you there.