What a winter we’re having!
Being enclosed and heated doesn’t help much if the roads are icy. The forecast
this Saturday is just rain, so bring your umbrella and head over to the market.
It’s supposed to be a heat wave, over 50 degrees!
You’ll get to enjoy that fabulous pasta I raved
about last week. MaMa JoJo’s will also have soup – creamy chicken noodle, plus
a second that Chef JT is keeping under wraps.
Fit Foods is serving breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, hashbrown casserole
and a choice of biscuits and gravy or buttermilk blueberry biscuits, and of
coffee or OJ for $5.
Max Barnett will be on the market stage.
The Kids Garden Club will plant and decorate egg
carton salad gardens. It’s come and go from 9 to noon and free. Master gardener
Eric gives adults gardening advice as well as working with the kiddos.
Four farms - Braker, Harmony, Misty Morning, and
Oak Woods - will have lots of greens, root crops, and other goodies. We’ll have
honey, eggs, pork, beef, chicken and lamb, jams and jellies, smoked seasonings
and dip mixes, plus our crafters 2Ts Soap and Stuff, Delightful Gifts (fire
starters), Garden ‘n’ Goat soaps, Twice as Sharp knife and blade sharpening,
and Joplin Business Women with Rada utensils.
Winter is the season of training for market
operators as well as market farmers. Our market assistant Rachael went to her
first Missouri Farmers Market Association annual meeting for us last weekend. I
want to close with her report to me:
Friday
morning’s weather had me wondering if it was wise to attend the conference in Jeff City, especially
after fishtailing the entire length of the bridge right before Mt. Vernon on
I-70. With white knuckles gripping the steering wheel, I decided to press on. I
am happy I did. That evening Adam Mefrakis, a produce safety
inspection for the Missouri Department of Agriculture, gave us an overview of
the federal Produce Safety Rule. He emphasized the importance of growers
following the rule to keep our community safe from food contamination
outbreaks, and our farmers and market safe from liability. (note from
Eileen – the market has been training our farmers on food safety for over a
decade. Our farmers are professionals and work hard to keep our fresh local
produce safe.)
Saturday
was saturated with good information. It was fun being part of a group who, like
me, geek out over locally sourced foods and providing a venue for our small
farmers to sell.
Farmers
markets exist in small towns, urban neighborhoods, and everywhere in between
because individuals like those I met this weekend believe that fresh foods are
important for the health of our neighbors and of our farming neighbor.
I want
to use what I learned at the conference to give Webb City Farmers Market a
great anniversary year, which means I need to hear from you. The market will
have clip boards set up by the information table with questions for you to
answer – like, what does the market need, what do you love about the market –
as well as sheets seeking your suggestions. Our hope is to make sure the vision
and mission of the market continues to reflect the values and needs of our
community. You can help our 20th year the best ever.
The market recently held its annual members
meeting. The members set April 20 as our opening date for the regular season.
After that we’ll be open Tuesday from 4 to 7 pm, Thursday from 11 to 2, and of
course Saturday from 9 to noon. The applications for 2019 are on the market’s
website webbcityfarmersmarket.com and at the market information table. Whether
you want to sell, volunteer, demonstrate, or play and sing on the market stage,
you can now apply to be part of the market’s 20th year. See you
Saturday!
