I love the Emporia Farmers Market.
Tracey E. Graham
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
WHEN I FIRST moved to Emporia in 1999, one of the first things I fell in love with was the Emporia Farmers Market. The fresh, delicious and very affordable locally-grown/baked/canned goodies are a treat my husband and I delighted in twice a week. Within a month of moving here, we also grew to appreciate the camaraderie among the vendors and customers alike, and to enjoy the overall sense of community that IS the market.
Each winter, I look forward to the first Saturday in May; to seeing all those nice people I haven’t seen since October. Yes, I eagerly anticipate fresh spring spinach, rhubarb and gooseberries, and to restocking my honey and walnut supply, but mainly I anticipate the PEOPLE! Since joining The Learning Connection board in 2003, I now get to see my farmers market friends two months earlier, at the annual meeting (and I can tell you, farmers market people put together an outstanding potluck!) Like all other TLC board members, I enjoy volunteering my time working the market kiosk once or twice a month. As a board member, I’ve also had the opportunity to advertise our market’s variety and quality to people from all over the state by setting up a display at the Kansas State Fair (even winning a purple ribbon for our efforts!).
Last year, I added another couple of levels to my involvement with the market. Two to four times a month, I am now a vendor, selling (among other things) jams, jellies and preserves made from fruits purchased at the market. I also began teaching a “Preserving The Harvest” class for TLC once a month. I buy whatever is in great abundance on a Saturday morning, then head back to my kitchen to teach folks how to can, freeze and dehydrate food for enjoyment the rest of the year. Locally grown foods, properly preserved at the peak of freshness, are more nutritious and delicious than so-called “fresh” produce shipped in from who-knows-where out of season. Preserves made from farmers market peaches in July bring summer back to my breakfast table on a cold February morning! And, of course, I continue to volunteer at the kiosk once or twice a month, as a TLC Board member.
Now in 2007, as Emporia celebrates its Sesquicentennial, and the market is celebrating its Silver Anniversary (25 years! Wow!), I have been employed part time for TLC, and am actively involved in pursuing new ideas to grow our market, to bring more vendors and more customers to Emporia. I’m proud of the contributions the market makes to the community and am honored to be a part of it.
The farmers market offers so much to the Emporia community. From the wide variety of locally-produced, high quality foods and goods for all customers; to the Senior Nutrition Program that puts fresh produce onto the tables of many well-deserving people, free of charge; to the Youth Vendor Program, which encourages young people to develop horticultural and business skills; to the pie, cake, jam and jelly, salsa, quick bread contests in partnership with The Emporia Gazette; to the Homegrown Celebration, which brings balloons, entertainment, watermelon contests with Captain Astro and all those other nice folks at ESB Financial, and KVOE to our site. If you’re not visiting the market regularly, you’re really missing out!
I’m grateful for so many things:
• The space provided by the City of Emporia for the market itself, and the tolerance and understanding of downtown merchants.
• The monetary contributions of individuals, businesses and organizations to TLC, especially the generous financial support of TLC as a whole from ESB Financial and ESU Lifelong Learning.
• The Emporia Gazette, The Shopper, Emporia Radio Stations, the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Emporia Chamber of Commerce, for their help in publicizing events at the farmers market.
• The United Way’s assistance in funding of the Senior Nutrition and Youth Vendor Programs.
• The Salvation Army and Lyon County SRS for seeing to it that the Senior Nutrition Program reaches the people who need it.
• The Lyon County K-State Research and Extension agents who help with the Youth Vendor Program.
• The tremendous numbers of hours donated to the market by TLC board members.
• The dedication of the TLC’s one full-time employee, Executive Director Cheryl Patton, who has kept the TLC growing and moving forward through good times and bad.
But above all, what I am most grateful for are the hardworking farmers whose love of growing good things to share with the community, AND the community members who are smart enough to take advantage of the great things the market has to offer and support the farmers that make the Emporia Farmers Market possible.