Comments by traceygraham
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Posted on September 25 at 2:54 p.m.
A thousand thank yous to all the people who made this event happen! Especially Rachael LeClear who put it all together. It was fun, informative and positively delicious!
I'd just like to add the following details to the story:
1. The "three assistants in white jackets" are FHTC Culinary Arts students. They represented FHTC very very well. The Culinary Arts program should be very proud of them!
2. Rennaissance Farms donated that fantastic grass-fed sirloin.
The baguettes for the Chocolate Crostini were donated by Amanda's Resaturant, and the chocolate was donated by the Sweet Granada.
The corn was donated by Steve Jirak (the "Melon Guy" you see at every market).
All of the other vegetables, the apples, and the pears were donated by the Emporia Farmers' Market - purchased from market vendors.
The cheeses were donated by Alma Creamery and Fieldstone Organic Farm.
King Liquor donated the rum for the grilled apples and pears. yum...
Everything else needed for the demos - from salt to olive oil to paper goods - was donated by Country Mart.
Waters' True Value provided both the tent to cover the bleachers and the Weber Grill the Queens used that was then given away as a door prize.
Other fabulous door prizes included: a picnic table provided by Sutherlands, and goodie basket from Madelynns, and a great bunch of grilling equipment from Muckenthalers.
Flint Hills Music provided the P.A. system.
The City provided the bleachers.
3. The Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Emporia Farmers' Market were also sponsors of the event.
Posted on August 19 at 10:16 a.m.
There used to be a flag at the top of the hill in Jones Park. What happened to it, I wonder? It looked really beatiful blowing in the wind.
Posted on July 9 at 6:40 a.m.
Weltha- now there's a question I can't quite answer. At least not definitively.
I've checked at the state level for regulations regarding live-animal sales at farmers' markets and was told that as long as the animals have been checked and certified (or apporved, or cleared, or something - I can't recall the terminology) by a veterinarian, it's OK.
BUT - They also said to check at the local level for local regulations. And because the question didn't come up again, and I got busy doing a bunch of other things, I never did get around to checking with local officials.
The FM board has not established a policy regarding live animal sales at the market, mainly because we haven't gotten around to finding out whether it's legal or not.
Posted on July 8 at 10:20 a.m.
abc:
The majority of the goods for sale at the market are fresh produce and baked goods, meats and eggs. This is what sells.
We sometimes have handcrafted items as well. For example, theres a really nice person named Patty Delmont who has been selling gourd birdhouses at markets recently. They're beautiful! We also have some vendors that sell handmade soaps, lotions and candles. All very pure, clean and local.
Unfortunately, handcrafted items have usually not sold as well as foods at the market. People enjoy looking at them and saying isn't that pretty, but they're mainly there to buy foods. And without making actual sales and earning some actual money, handicrafters get discouraged and stop coming. We'd love to have more handicrafters selling, but if people aren't buying... well you get it, right?
The main rules regarding what can be sold are:
1) The items for sale have to be produced by the seller. That means - if you grow it, bake it or make it yourself, you can sell it yourself. But you can't sell retail - buy stuff from someone else and sell it at our market.
2) It has to be local, and for the definition of local we use "made within the great state of Kansas".
3) There also some health-related rules regarding what types of baked and canned goods can be sold - too length to go into here.
If you'd like a complete list of EFM regulations, I can email them to you. Just contact me at tlcfh@yahoo.com.
If you'd like to subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter, which details what is for sale at the market each week, send me an email and I'll put you on the list!
As for a flea market, I know there are other farmers' markets that do that sometimes -like City Market in KC does it once or twice a year - but that doesn't fit with our producer-only rule.
Here in Emporia, we have the Emporia Main Street-sponsored Great American Market. Once a year. First Saturday in September (the 6th this year). It will be a great day with lots of homemade handicrafts, flea market type items, various retailers, food, beverages, entertainment and activities for the kids (of all ages). If you haven't been to the GAM in the past, do check it out. There is literally something (and for most of us, many many things) for everybody! The FM will also be open that morning, but will not go all day like the GAM will.
Posted on July 8 at 9:55 a.m.
LGO: Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take them to my board. Would you happen to have any one I could contact who would be willing to do such demonstrations? I'm just a part-time person, doing what turns out to be a pretty-much full-time job, and have my hands full trying to keep the current market on track, but would very much like to explore your suggestions. If you'd be interested in taking this discussion off-line, I'm at tlcfh@yahoo.com.
As for children's activities - we've got the Homegrown Celebration coming up on July 26, a few more activities for kids later in the summer, and then the Harvest Festival on October 11.
This years special events are listed in the 8-page tab that came out in the Gazette (but not online) way back in late April. I have some extra copies if you're interested in picking one up at the FM kiosk or in the lobby of the Kress Building.
Posted on July 7 at 9:11 p.m.
Great question LGO!
Many of our vendors participate in the federally-funded Farmers' Market Senior Nutrition Program. Last year, more than $2500 worth of fresh produce was provided to seniors in need through the farmers' market. This year several hundreds of dollars worth have already gone through the program - my data is at the office, so I can't tell you exactly how much at this moment. It should total well over $3000 this year.
There is a pilot program for WIC currently taking place in 3 Kansas counties. When the details have been ironed out with that program, it should be expanded to other KS counties, and our market will without a doubt be included in phase 2, because of our long history with the SNP. We look forward to that! More good food in the hands and the mouths of people who can truly use it.
We also distribute "Market Money" coupons to area schoolchildren when we do in-school presentations, but that has been by no means comprehensive and we hope to expand that more in the future. We need funding to do that, though.
As for diversity among our customers, I'd say we get a fairly nice mix, but I'd like to see a lot more. I'd especially like to have more _vendors_ of different cultures, which would not only bring in more customers of different cultures, but also provide a wider variety of foodstuffs for all of us!
For example - I know that many of the Asian greens grow very well in our soil and our climate, but our current vendors haven't yet explored those areas much. I'm crazy for Bok Choy and would love it if someone would grow some for me!
And what about tomatillos!!! Have you ever had a fresh, homegrown tomatillo? Yum yum yum!!!
If you have any suggestions for how to reach out to bring in more customers and/or vendors of different cultures, Id' be most delighted to hear them! Honest!
It's our community market, and we have such a wonderful, diverse community. I'd love to see more representation of all the peoples of Emporia!
Posted on June 12 at 5:05 p.m.
This month it's tomatoes and salmonella... not so long ago it was spinach and E coli... wonder what the next big outbreak will be?
Good points, Pat, about the many differences between factory farms and homegrown. The ones you grow yourself are the very best, but if you don't grow your own, then buy local!
Local means tastier, higher in nutrition and less likely to have been grown with lots of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Couple that with the many economic benefits of buying local and it's a no-brainer...
We've had tomatoes at the Farmers' Market the last two Saturdays. 100% salmonella-free.
We expect to see them there again every Saturday, and at the Wednesday markets beginning next week, all the way through to the first freezes in the fall.
Know your farmer - know your food!
Posted on June 10 at 7:19 p.m.
Not only Emporia and Topeka, but nationwide.
It's possible we'll never know where the initial contamination began. When large volumes of any type of food are brought into gigantic processing facilities from numerous sources, all it takes is contamination at one of those sources to affect the entire processing plant.
The solution for the individual consumer:
1) Grow your own; or
2) Buy locally! Getting your produce at the Farmers' Market means you can "Know Your Farmer - Know Your Food". You're also getting the freshest possible produce, which not only tastes better, but also is higher in nutrition than produce picked in Florida weeks ago, shipped to a processing plant, then to a distribution center, then to the store.
Posted on June 5 at 9:18 p.m.
It looks like Bob is finally going to have a GOOD year!
And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Really!
Way to go Bob!
I'm going to get my canner & dehydrator out and clear some space in the freezer. Bob's fruit, canned at the peak of freshness this summer, is going to bless my table all year long! Woohoo!!!
And for anyone who didn't get a taste of Bob's peaches two years ago - let me tell ya - once you try these, those ol' Colorado things are going to taste pale by comparison!
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Posted on September 29 at 1:46 p.m.
Harvest Fest plans are shaping up:
Farmers' Market as usual with lots of great produce, baked goods and local meats, eggs, etc.
There will be cider press demonstrations, hot apple cider and butternut lollipops at the kiosk.
The Barrel Train will circle the parking lot.
Pumpkin Bowling for all ages - with prizes donated by Flint Hills Lanes
Arts Council will have the Artmobile there, with Pumpkin Decorating for the kids.
The Rec. Center will have a number of games for the kids.
ESU Students will be face-painting.
Main Street Vendors will have booths set up.
Fun for all ages!
On Emporia Farmers Market