We have so much going on at the market
today and tomorrow that it almost makes my head spin. Today we’re open from 11
to 2. Mohaska Farmhouse returns to the market for the first time this year. Mohaska
began life at the market as Redings Mill Bread Company. After selling at the
market for a number of years, they bought a storefront on South Main in Joplin
and became Mohaska, a wonderful restaurant featuring local foods and their own
artisan breads baked in a wood-fired brick oven. Owner/baker Jamey Smith is super
excited about coming back to the market because a) he loves the market and b)
he has a cool new product – pizza kits. The “kit” includes his own handcrafted
organic pizza crust, sauce and cheese. You buy the meats and veggies at the
market to make your own super fresh, original pizza. Now that I think about it,
I’m pretty excited too! And, of course,
I’m looking forward to his breads, as well.
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| Baker Jamey Smith back when the market was his only store. |
But wait, there’s more! Terrell Creek will be at the market today
with their award-winning cheese and... two baby goats! They’re bringing the goats at our request
because we’re pretty sure the 120 kindergarteners visiting today will be pumped
about meeting them. The children from the Bess Truman Center in Oronogo will
arrive today at 11:30 to meet the goats, learn about the market, farming and
plants, hear the music and do a scavenger hunt. Amos Apiaries will have their demonstration bee hive at the market today as well. We love kids at the market and
we love them knowing where their food comes from.
And they’ll be learning from the
experts. Patrick Byers and Nashon Bishop, with University of Missouri Extension
and Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, will be at the market to tell the
kids about plants, and coincidentally to answer your plant questions too. They
plan to be at the market once a month to interact with our customers and
farmers, so bring your plant questions today.
The Plainsfolk will play traditional
music, with an Irish flair. Granny Shaffers at the Market will serve bierocks,
side salad, chicken salad sandwiches, and spinach salad.
Oh, and by the way, both today and
tomorrow we’ll have a ton of spring produce, plus baked goods, energy bars,
herb plants, hanging baskets, vegetable and bedding plants, handcrafted wooden
planters, honey, raw milk, freshly roasted coffee beans, and farm fresh eggs. I’m
pretty sure it’s worth your while to come by between 11 and 2 today.
But wait, there’s more on Saturday! Because
it’s our Let’s Plant a Garden Day when every child receives a free tomato plant
and instructions on how to plant and care for it. Tim and Violet Green of Green’s
Greenhouse and Gardens have grown the healthy sturdy plants, as they do for the
market every year.
Another treat for the kids on Saturday
is the music of Marshall Mitchell. Marshall can entertain any age with his
original western style music, but he just loves playing for kids and they love
listening and dancing to his music.
For the adults in the crowd, we have Courtney
Stultz, whose web site www.lphjkitchen.com
focuses on “Cooking with Love, Patience, Hope and Joy”, will demonstrate Mean
Green Breakfast Scramble featuring market eggs, greens and herbs.
Cooking for a Cause benefits Fisher
House where the families of veteran stay while their loved one receives
treatment at the St. Louis VA Medical Center. Biscuits and gravy, sausage and
farm fresh eggs cooked to order are served from 9 to 11 by volunteers from the Webb
City chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.
The market is open on Saturdays from 9
to noon and the breakfast and music is from 9 to 11.
On Tuesday (remember our new hours – 4 to
6 pm) Bill Adkins returns to the market stage. We’re been thoroughly enjoying
our hotdog meals, plain, with chili, and chili-cheese, plus Frito pies. And for
dessert, it’s hard to choose. Cookies or cinnamon rolls from Harmony Hill or
kettle corn or roasted nuts from King’s?
My theory is, why choose? Let’s
try it all!
Next Wednesday we start the Kids
Community Garden in earnest. We’ll be planting the tomato plants from 3 to 4
and meeting at 3 every Wednesday afternoon through June. The garden is open to
any child in middle school or older, though they don’t actually have to be a
Webb City student. Younger children may join in if accompanied by an older
sibling or parent who will supervise them. And adults are welcome to help as
well.
