OK, repeat after me “The market is open
all year, the market is open all year...”
This is my last column of the year, not because the market is closing,
but because I’m going to be busy having a good time! My daughter Emily is getting married on the 25th,
my daughter Cora and her family are visiting from Australia and we have our
Winter Production Conference coming up in November, so I’m cutting down on
other responsibilities – in other words, the column.
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| Granddaughter Madeleine LOVED Suzette! |
All of which means that the market is NOT
shutting down, or even, for that matter, slowing down. There will still be
market news in the Sentinel, but just brief news article without the gossip.
November
1 we go to Saturdays only (9 to noon) and those Saturdays in November and
December will expand the market to include our annual Christkindlmarket. The
south end of the pavilion will be filled with handcrafted gifts each Saturday,
while the north end will have our usual market vendors, fresh produce, baked
goods, jams, jellies, freshly roasted coffee beans, farm fresh eggs. We’ll have
much of the usual market fare, but with a festive flair.
If you’d like to sell at one or more of
the Christkindlmarkets, stop by the information table at the market for an
application or go to webbcityfarmersmarket.com and click on “Applications”. All
vendors are juried to make sure they’re a good fit for the market and, of
course, the seller must be the maker or grower of the product.
We’re looking for a breakfast vendor for
the market who would also sell hot drinks like mulled cider, hot chocolate,
coffee and tea.
We also plan holiday cooking
demonstrations and sampling, or just sampling if your dish is too complicated or
takes too long to actually make during market. If you have a favorite holiday
recipe you’d like to share, let us know. You’ll find the demonstrator application
on our web site. We’ll buy the ingredients!
Three Saturdays are already taken but that leaves three more, and we
might just have more than one demonstration going on at a time because we love holiday
foods. If you’re crafty and would like to demonstrate a holiday craft, we’d
love that, too. (And I’m still looking for a Santa or Mrs. Santa – we can
provide the costume, you provide the smiles for whatever Saturday(s) you are
available. Good News - we have a "professional" Santa flying down to the market from Kansas City on December 20th - so mark your calendars and bring your camera!)
Decorations will start going up in the
south end soon but, I promise, the Christmas balls won’t go up until after
Thanksgiving.
Now back to the present. This Saturday,
breakfast is pancakes (with a free second serving), grilled ham, eggs to order
and coffee or juice. It’s served till 11 and benefits Webb City’s Bright
Futures program. The sides are down on the pavilion so if it’s cold, eat inside.
If it’s sunny, enjoy breakfast outside.
Mark Barger plays Native American flutes
on Saturday.
It’s a great time to buy mums. Several
growers have them on sale and since they’re winter hardy, you can plant them now
and enjoy them every fall. Be sure to talk to the grower about the best place
to plant them and how to care for them.
The produce continues to be abundant,
especially the green beans and other fall crops.
Next Tuesday is our next-to-last
Tuesday market. Madewell Pork will be there, as will all of our produce
growers. Harmony Hill will have baked goods. Rob Pommert will play and Carmine’s
Wood Fire Pizza will have the oven fired up (literally).
Watch for market news in the Sentinel and
remember, as the Whos said to Horton, “We are here! We are here!
We are here!” See you at the
market!
