First, the streetcar is running tomorrow from 9 to noon. This
free ride in Old No. 60 is a treasured experience for those of us claiming Webb
City. Board at the depot west of the market kitchen. And if you have a special
heart for the streetcar and time to give, talk to the volunteers running it
about doing some volunteering yourself. They are planning a training session
soon, even teaching how to drive it. I was pretty excited when they let me
handle the brake, but to drive? What a
treat. They are hoping to train enough volunteers that they can operate the
streetcar more often, perhaps even on a Tuesday or Thursday so some of the
hundreds of kids coming for their meal could take a spin around the park.
Second, new faces and new products are just around the corner. Hector
Troyer is expected at the market tomorrow. Of course, he’s not a new face,
having sold at the market for about seven years, but this will be his first
time this year. We’ve been seeing a lot of Hector at the market’s Winter
Production Education Center where he is serving as mentor to center manager Fue
Yang. Hector has been very generous in sharing his expertise with Fue and also
advocating for Fue, making sure others with roles in the project do their part
on schedule. (That's Hector on the tractor preparing the beds in one of the Center's high tunnels.)
To see some of the results of the project, stop by Fue’s table
in the center of the pavilion and ask him which are the tunnel zucchini? Those are the first fruits of the project. We’ll
have to wait to see the ultimate fruits, or rather vegetables, of the project. That
will happen this winter when we have tables loaded with plentiful and high quality
produce, in part, because our farmers received training at the center.
Third, brace yourself. Blueberries are due on Tuesday! Blackberries aren’t far behind and sweet corn
and peaches are about two weeks away!
I would remind you that Tuesday and Thursday are still easy
days to shop. Parking is close and the pavilion uncrowded. We have most of our same
vendors during the week that we have on Saturdays. (And we have pies from Stewart's Bakery on Tuesday and Thursday!)
And, of course, there are other practicalities, like it being
virtually impossible to back some of the trailers into place if the customer
parking is already full. And, believe me, if you could buy peaches an hour
before we opened, the parking would be full, and the folks who came at our
opening time would be disappointed.
And on the topic of parking, you may have noticed that the
market manager’s red truck and my red Prius have been parked on the grass
immediately west of the Kids Meal tent on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We park there
even if the ground is soft with rain, for safety. We have parking off the entry
road west of the tent. If, for some reason, a car should get out of control
there, it will have to drive through our vehicles before it can get close to
the children.
The worst accidents at markets in recent years have been from
out of control cars. A driver thought he was braking, but his foot was actually
on the accelerator. The harder he pushed to brake, the faster he went. In
California and in Florida almost a dozen people died as a result that kind of
accident. That’s the reason we also block off the pavilion so there is no
coming and going of cars pointing the pavilion’s direction.
We also no longer allow cars to park north of the kid’s tent for
safety reasons. But that opens up the space for other opportunities. Last week we had
many families bring blankets to spread on the grass north of the tent to enjoy
a picnic. Thursday we had some kids playing pitch. A couple of little girls
only had a rock to throw to each other. I’ll be picking up a bunch of balls and
other lawn toys (no darts, of course) to set out for kids to play. If they want
a quieter activity, they can borrow a book to read after they eat. The library
has given us a whole box of books which we station under the shade of a tree.
Tomorrow the Chert Glades Master Naturalists serve breakfast. The
Granny Chicks liven up the stage. Music and meal run from 9 to 11. Don’t forget
the trolley is running from 9 to noon.
On Tuesday, Stewart’s Bakery and Carmine’s Pizza serve supper. The
Free Kids Meal Tuesday is smoked sausage, new potatoes and green beans, a
biscuit and milk. (The plate photo is of the kids meal last Tuesday.) The Pommerts will play.
On Thursday, M & M Bistro and Stewart’s Bakery serve lunch.
The kids meal is Frito pie with market veggies and milk. The Granny Chicks
return for another round of foot-stomping fun.
Now, if there was nothing in the column that sounded good to
you, well, call me and I’ll come check to see if you’re breathing!
Just kidding. Instead, I’ll see you at the market where the living
is good.
