DeWitt Farmers Market

Farmers Needed!

We've had a wonderful boost in attendance this spring; usually the first three markets bring very few vendors.  On average we have 5-6 vendors in these opening weeks.  THIS year we've been averaging a dozen or better!

BUT..... we really need to have some farmers come with some fresh produce!  Felzke's have reportedly sold their asparagus and strawberry crops to L & L Foods this year (Congratulations!) but that leaves us without that early produce we have come to love.  If anyone knows a farmer who wants to join us on Saturday mornings, PLEASE let us know!

The 2008 Season is Upon Us!

Another winter has flown by (OK, so not really - it's been a long one this year!), and we're already planning this year's market!  Kellie and I are gearing up for another successful summer, but we  are in need of some help.  We have a ton of interest from crafty vendors and others, but very little response from our farmers!  Granted, there isn't much available in the early part of the season in the way of produce.  Michigan's climate means late blooming on the greens...  But we are in search of more farmers to join us at the market this summer!  We are especially looking for organic farmers, as this is the most requested from our market shoppers. 

On that same note, did you know that you don't need any certifications from the Department of Agriculture to sell produce at a farmer's market?  Knowing that little tidbit just might make you think twice about pitching all that excess abundance from your own garden!  Got some extra veggies from your patch that you'd like to sell at the market?  Let us know!  We'll make room!

The market opens on Saturday, May 10th at 9am sharp.  We'll see you there!

Summer, and the living is easy....

Market shopper in training!  Thank you, Tracey, for letting us take the photo of your sweet daughter.  I think this was the best photo op of the summer!

July has been booming around here, hasn't it?  The past three weeks we've had 20+ vendors at the market, with great variety to boot.  More produce is coming into season, and the corn is early this year (big bonus!).  We've had a few different bakeries join us each week, giving a really nice selection for breads, cinnamon rolls, and more.  There are even food vendors now!  Czech Pastry is now bringing along brats, hot dogs, and homemade pierogies -- hot and ready to eat on the spot!  Catherine Cervantes is joining us with homemade tortillas and tamales that are wonderful.  We will even have spring rolls and egg rolls in the coming weeks!

Fresh cut flowers continue to be a huge hit at the market, and there are so many different vendors with high-quality artisanal crafts that kind of rotate through on varying weeks giving us a nice balance.  We've had Keith Kocher bring his magic act, and Ben Hassenger has regaled us with tunes like "Soccer Mom" and "Flippy & Max".  Potter Park Zoo will be back on September 8th, and there's still more to come!  Ernie Block will perform his music on upcoming dates, and then there is the pumpkin decorating that will be held the last two weeks of the season in October. 

July seems to be the month where things really take flight and the market hits maturity for the remainder of the summer.  If you haven't been able to get down here yet, now is the time to do it!  We promise you'll have a wonderful time....

Posted by Leanne on 7-26-07

IMPORTANT NEWS & INFORMATION!!!

Project Fresh is on it's way!  The DeWitt Farmers Market has been approved to accept the project fresh coupons, leaving only a couple of steps in the process to complete.  We will have this program in place before the end of the summer, and possibly before the end of July!

Also, we have a few reminders for vendors and customers alike:

For the safety of our patrons and our vendors, we NEED drivers to stop driving around the barricades.  This is a $185 fine, and if we have a pen handy we will be taking down license numbers.  A young lady in a white car, while talking on a cell phone, drove around a barricade yesterday.  Yes, the market was over, but the street closure pertains until the farmers have completely packed up and left the area.  One of our farmers was still parked there loading their vehicle when she went around. At a rate of speed much higher than the 25 MPH that's posted.  Thankfully, Officer Milner happened to be helping us move the other barricades at the time and was able to stop her and take care of the situation. 

To clarify, we remove the OUTBOUND lane barricades FIRST, so that our farmers can leave.  We remove the INBOUND lane barricades LAST, so that drivers do not hit anyone.  Come on, people, it's not that hard to drive around the area by only 1 block.  Please be considerate.  If you aren't and you decide that the barricades don't apply to your vehicle, what do you think will happen if you hit a pedestrian when going around one?  Is it worth knowing you hurt someone?  Let's use some common sense.

As for the vendors, you may not leave the area early if your vehicle is parked inside the market area.  This is for the same reasons that motorists can't come into the market area.  You risk injury or death to a person walking through the market.  You must wait until 1:00 when the market is over.  If you think you may need to leave early, you will have to park elsewhere and then haul out your products by hand when you are leaving. 

If you are on a bicycle, please walk it through the market area.  Most cyclists are considerate and do walk their bikes through, but occasionally we get a few serious bikers through here that barely slow down.  Please go around the block or walk your bike through the market. Safety matters!

We also ask that all dogs be leashed and cleaned up after.  Be sure to bring them by the information booth for a drink of water and a treat!

Thank you for your cooperation! 

Mid-Summer Update

When Kellie and I assumed responsibility for the market last year, we were advised to not schedule any market dates in the month of July.  Apparently that's when everyone goes out of town.  For a whole month?  The town is devoid of anyone wanting to come shop at the market?  We were a bit surprised, but then again neither of us was going on a summer vacation for the foreseeable future since we each had 4 kids that weren't at travelling ages.  So we figured, What the heck?  DeWitt is full of families with babies and young kids.  Surely we can't be the only ones terrified to drive more than 15 minutes in a vehicle with them.  (I need to clarify:  not terrified in terms of safety or capabilities physically.  Terrified of hearing "Are we there yet" out of 4 different kids at 1 minute intervals, thereby sending us into the looney bin.)

So we went full steam ahead, and you know what?  July ended up being the biggest month of the summer!  We had a great vendor turnout, because produce started to come into season; and we had a great community turnout, because as it so happens, we were right.  We aren't the only ones who don't want to travel in the July heat with little kids. 

So here it is, July 1st, and we're gearing ourselves up for an even bigger and better month in 2007!  And we think it may have started early.  Yesterday's market was wonderful.  We had 17 vendors set up booths, and Keith Kocher performed his "As Close to Magic" talents for the patrons.  We had it all yesterday -- breads and sweets; berries; lettuces, radishes, and onions; solar lawn art; handpoured candles; handmade soap; gourmet carmel corn; dip and cookie mixes along with roasted coffee beans; more annuals and perennials; and lots of sunshine and laughter. 

With summer going so quickly and being so busy this year, there's been no time leftover to keep the fun stuff posted out here.  But we have been taking photos at the markets, and we are adding them to the flickr group for all to see.  We've even managed to sneek in a photo of our furry critters that came to see us on the 23rd of June.  Potter Park Zoo joined us again this year, and is coming back for a second trip on September 8th.  Fun for all ages around here!

We hope you'll continue to join us downtown on Saturday mornings.  With more and more selections coming into season each week, it just keeps getting better.  But we'd like to give you a few more  reasons to shop at your farmers market:

1.   You can help bring gas prices down!  The majority of gasoline used in the United States is going into big old semi trucks that ship food back and forth from California to Maine, from Montana to Louisiana and all points in between.  Eat locally, and reduce the amount of food that needs to be shipped.  Less need to be shipped, less gas used.  Lower demand for gas = lower prices at the pump eventually!

2.  You can help slow down or stop global warming.  Those same semi trucks in reason no. 1 are also churning out all kinds of carbon emissions while they roll down the highway. 

3.  You keep your money going back into the  local economy, rather than into the wallet of the CEO of some corporate conglomeration in a faraway land.

4.  You support our local farmers.  They are the backbone of our community.  DeWitt/St. John's area is farm country, and we need to remember our roots.  Whether you were born and raised here or whether you moved here two weeks ago, the community legacy is important to all of us.  It keeps us grounded in those values we're known for in this part of the country.  Years ago, a woman not originally from this area had moved to DeWitt.  She complained that it was "too blue collar".  Thank goodness we are!  DeWitt is made up of hardworking folks, whether they are farmers or bankers, mechanics or engineers.  It doesn't matter what line of work you are in, we all know you're going to do your best at it.  And our farmers are symbolic of that work ethic.  Let's keep them in business!

5.  Buying produce from the farmer at the market ensures that you know exactly where your food came from!  They picked it that morning, put it on truck, and brought it to town.  It hasn't been in a cooler or in a crate for up to a week before you purchase it.  It was still in it's little patch of earth until it was time to come to the market.  PLUS, you can even ask that farmer how they grew it, and if they'll have more the next week.  Talk about knowing where your food came from!

There you have only 5 reasons to shop here on Saturday mornings, but there are many many more.  Hmm, maybe we'll have to list a few every week!

posted by: Leanne on July 1, 2007

Finally, we had sunshine from beginning to end!

After 3 straight weeks of tenuous weather, we struck paydirt on week four.  The first two weeks started out drizzly and cloudy, but the day ended up clear and nice for the second half of the market.  And of course last Saturday was the monsoon of all time!  But yesterday?  Perfection!  Yes, it was hot, but NO ONE complained!  If you do gripe about heat in Michigan, you are punished with snow the next day, so we all made sure to say how wonderful it was...

We had a nice size group of vendors participate, with a perfect blend of products to tempt the market goers.  The sunshine tempted quite a few to make purchases at Guiding Light's booth, and all of the lamps that went home with folks got a good charging in the afternoon sunshine!

Looking Glass had hardy and beautiful perennials once again!  Jan had me stop and smell the dianthus shown here.  Just as she promised, it had a wonderful scent of an old fashioned carnation!  It was a deep, sweet scent that reminded me of sitting in my grandparents "screen room" (remember those stand-alone metal frame tents that had window screen for walls instead of nylon panels? yeah, those were the days....).  Lovely!

Jan Hardwick returned with her felted bags.  As a knitter, yarn shop owner, and not to mention just a plain old yarnaholic, the logical part of my brain tells me not to buy the dragonfly bag she had with her since I'm fully capable of making my own.  But it just calls out to me!  And I don't have a whole lot of resolve.  Soooooo, Jan?  If it didn't sell?  Just bring it to the market the next time you join us and I'll be taking it off your hands!  Nope, no willpower at all!

Harold Kemler is a familiar fixture at many area markets.  Are we ever glad he's with us every Saturday morning!  First of all, he puts out samples for you to try, which then turns into a buffet for those of us who are in it for the duration every weekend.  Unwittingly he keeps us nourished for that process of tearing down the tents and barricades afterward!  But when you've tried the Son-In-Law products, you inevitably need more by the next week because they tend to disappear rather quickly they are so good.  A couple of choice selections, personally tested and rated as excellent:

Mmmmm...  I don't even need to explain this photo!  Kettle corn.  Fresh.  Sweet.  Yum!

Cara Ludlow was finally able to join us!  The Soap Shoppe at Hearthwood Farms has been a wonderful addition to the market last year and this year.  These soaps are so gentle and are all natural.  And the fragrance?  How I wish computer monitors were scratch & sniff compatible!  The "flavor" of the soap is genuinely how it smells!  Sometimes I wonder if they aren't edible, the air around the booth smells so divine!  The Patchouli scented soap is absolute perfection, even for those who don't like patchouli at all.  It has such a wonderful fragrance, completely unlike the traditional stuffy air of patchouli everywhere else.  (But I already love it normally, so I'm head over heels in love with this stuff!)  If you need any suggestions on where to start with the soap, Good Earth is a great one!  But then again, Lavender or Summerberry are also excellent choices!  Then again, there's In From the Barn, Green Apple, Pear....

Lazy K Crafts was back!  This time, Judy was weaving her baskets right there at the booth.  She had asked on Friday if it was OK to bring her weaving supplies and do some work right there on the spot.  Of course!  Our viewpoint?  It's just one more way to bring unique experiences and demonstrations to the community!  We encourage this type of thing at all times!  The last market Judy attended I brought home one of her "gathering baskets".  Well, I didn't bring it HOME; it's actually in the shop with some knitting projects in it now.  I'm there more than I'm at home it seems, so I put it in the place likely to be where I would use and enjoy it most.  She had even more lovely things with her this week, and I think this little wall could do some damage to my wallet.

As if Lazy K wasn't enough to tempt our patrons, in the same booth her partner in crafty crime had some other delights!  Jan Briggs and her Creations in Glass were front and center, calling out to everyone.  Jan has beaded jewelry.  Yes, I know, lots of people do beaded jewelry.  But not on this level.  Jan makes these beads herself.  I don't think it's even right to call them beads, really.  This is art.  Rather than try to get a good, focused photo of the entire table top, we chose two items to take a picture of instead.  Just look at the detail and quality of these pieces!  She constructs the entire piece, beginning to end!  I already have a smaller, square version of the pendant shown, on an aqua cord.  I've been wearing it almost everyday, it's so pretty.  And the watch?  Check out the fish!  And the little 'laugh' charm at the end?  Both Jan and Judy will be back on July 14th, so mark your calendars!

Ahhhh, Felzke Farms.  I think everyone heard my squeal of joy when I found out they had strawberries with them!  Their berries are known all over as the best.  With good reason--they are!  An entire flat went into my truck to become jam today.  As I look over at the containers, however, I realize that the jam making will have to wait until next week when I can replenish the berry supply.  We've been "sampling" them so much, they are half gone already! And a flat holds 8 quarts...  They also brought the asparagus and fresh eggs with them again.  These eggs are the result of Jane's son wanting to have chickens on the farm last year.  Now, every morning, he has to go gather the eggs of 200 hens and clean, sort and grade them!  Careful what you wish for, kiddo, because chickens ain't easy to raise when you got layin' hens!  There are another 200 pullets that will be laying by fall.  So we'll be able to go out to Felzkes and get fresh eggs year round.  We're just thrilled that eggs are back at the market this year.  We had been trying to find an egg vendor, as the gal who sold them in the past has not been able to make it to the market.  Granted, we miss Ethel and her eggs and animals, but we understand that other things take higher priority than the market.  So when Jane and Jesse pulled up at the first market with eggs in tow, we were dancing right there in the street!  Our local librarian, Rene Prado, gives them a big thumbs up.  Now, Rene and his wife Gail are wonderful people and wholly support the community.  They are a breath of fresh air to a lot of projects and programs in the area because they bring such enthusiasm to everything!  I truly think they are the biggest cheerleaders for the market, and they are really helping us spread the message of buying and eating locally.  Anyway, I digress...  The point really is that Rene is also a true foodie.  And even though I've already tried it myself, I tend to be biased toward our vendors.  HE has now made a souffle with these eggs, and has also gotten another 25-30% in rise!  These eggs are GOOOOOOOD......  my kids would live on these alone!

 

New to the market this week?  Great Harvest Bread Co!  Oh thank goodness, because I was really craving their pecan swirl bread.  When you get a loaf that's still warm, you need to either stick it straight in the freezer so you don't inhale it all at once, or you need to just accept the fact that you will eat the entire loaf and sit down with a knife and start cutting off slices!  This particular bread used to be at the market on occasional dates in the first year or two of the market when the committee would bring in a selection from Zingermans and from Great Harvest to sell from the market info booth.  This year, Great Harvest themselves have a booth, and it's going to be heaven for my tastebuds, horror for my thighs.  I bought two pecan swirl and two cinnamon swirl.  One loaf went back to Indiana with my Father in law, two went into the freezer, and one is on the table as I type this for our breakfast!

Sun & Rain farms were able to make it this week, and will be here every week from now on.  They brought quite a variety of produce this week, and will have more as the season goes on. The green onions and radishes were too good to pass up, and they went into the dinner menu! And no, it's not too early for them!  I started my own garden late in the season, and only 2 weeks after planting it I have lettuce, spinach and others that need to come out.  When you have a greenhouse, it makes it even easier to get a head start on the season!

 

What a wonderful selection!  Of course, Wes Clark was there with his maple syrup, lettuces, tomato plants, annuals & perennials.  An echinacea plant and a set of jalapeno pepper plants were my weakness this week.  And Green Barn Llama Farm was back, and Kimi brought all of her wonderful dessert toppings for us to sample and buy!  Again, another one that's great for flavor, but not so great for my pants size!  I'm rationing myself over the summer.  Once a month I can splurge!

If you didn't make it down to the market, be sure to come this next weekend on the 9th!  It will be just as wonderful, with even more to see and do.  And coming up on June 23rd, we have Ben Hassenger joining us for musical entertainment (a schedule change from June 16th) while Potter Park Zoo is here!  Just plan on being there every single Saturday.  Trust me, you'll be glad you did!

posted by: Leanne on June 3, 2007

Rain or Shine!

A great big thank you to all of our vendors who were tough and withstood the tropical storm that almost drowned us this past Saturday!  Of course, what else would you expect of Wes and Jesse?  Farmers are tough enough to handle a little rain.  Even Rich and his Guiding Lights came out and braved the elements, and he's not a farmer so he wouldn't necessarily be doing this in bad weather!  But the Wooly Women?  And Kimi?  Dessert toppings are contained, so no danger of them getting ruined, but Kimi was a trooper and stayed in the wet and cold.  The Wooly Women went so far as to even spin while at the market!!!!!  Unbelievable!!!  Thank you ladies, you have no idea how much it meant to us to have you stay. 

So, our biggest weekend ever was almost a bust.  HOWEVER, this weekend promises to be wonderful.  I mean really, can it rain 4 weekends in a row?  Let's hope not!  But we wanted you all to know that, rain or shine, we hold the market. The only time we would ever cancel is if lightening is striking in the area.  And if that happens?  Leave the tents set up and get yourself inside!  We'll tear down when it clears up.  Those tents and tables can act as lightening rods, and if it means the street stays closed all day, we don't care.  Your safety is much more important!

Join us tomorrow!  The Wooly Women will be back, spinning away with their alpaca and llama roving/yarns.  Judy Koos is bringing her basketweaving supplies, and is going to weave at her booth.  Jan Briggs will be with her, displaying and selling her handmade beads and jewelry.  (She MAKES the beads, folks.  Come see these - they are exquisite!)  There will be flowers, plants, hopefully some additional produce as the gardens start to put forth some earlier crops, felted bags, jams, seasonings, solar lights and lawn decor, dessert toppings, and much much more.... 

The weather promises to be nice, so hopefully it keeps it's word.  If not, come anyway!  Don't miss all the wonderful treats in store for you!

Here We Are!

I found this photo from last season in an old email...  thought I should probably introduce us to everyone!

On the left is Kellie Warner, DDA Coordinator Extraordinaire!  She is a full time mom to 3 under 7 + 1 who is driving, a full time wife to Brent, and a full time workaholic when it comes to supporting DeWitt events and activities.  She works "officially" as a part time DDA Coordinator, but in reality it is a full time job.  This is one busy gal!  On top of these piddly little things, there are hundreds of other things she does.  I'm truly amazed by her get-up-and-go!

On the right is Leanne Roman.  Another full-time mom to 4 under 5, a full-time wife to Andy, and a DDA Director.  There's the connection!  Both of us are involved in the DDA and the Farmers Market.  I'm also the owner of Lavender & Peonies, the fabric/yarn shop in downtown DeWitt.  The business that started from the farmers market last season!  Kellie and I use it as home base for the market, so if you need anything stop in.

We both love doing this whole market thing, and have been looking forward to getting back into our Saturday routine all winter.  We hope you'll stop and say hi to us when you are downtown Saturday mornings! 

2007 Market Season Kickoff!

This past weekend we held the first of our Farmer's Markets for the summer.  It was a resounding success!  The fact that the weather was wonderful alone made it a completely perfect event, even if everything else had fallen apart.  But we didn't have any major mishaps, and the vendors did VERY well in sales, while the community came out in full force to enjoy it all.  We had a musician, Ben Hassenger of the local group "Blue Jello" playing in the middle of the block, and he is wonderful I tell you.  I can't wait for "Life Is Good" to be released soon!  Great music....  Since the weather has been such a bugger around here this spring, there's not much yet available in the way of produce, but our vendors with annuals and perennials sold out and had to send for more stock twice!  And our favorite berry farmers, Felzke's, brought an extra special surprise this year for us:  eggs!  Fresh from under the hens!  They have 200 laying right now and another 200 that will be laying by the fall markets.  HEAVENLY!  Fresh eggs are a true treat, and we are so excited to have them at the market finally.  Since we will always have the first market be the same weekend as Mother's Day, we are going to do something special for moms every year.  This year we gave away free annuals to every mom who stopped by the information booth.  This is the scene on a table in my garage the night before at 11 pm:

Stuffing lobelia, pansies, petunias, marigolds, and impatiens into pastel colored cups with potting soil and tying them with ribbons....  The next day they were all lined up in our wagon and on the info booth table just waiting to go home with some lovely woman to be planted and cared for.  We didn't want to hand out carnations that would die in a vase in a week.  We thought it would be nice to have a more lasting bloom for Mom!  It was a big hit--everyone loved the idea, and we had just enough for everyone!  Thank you so much, Enchanting Farms!  We purchased the annuals from them, and they were very hardy and full of blooms already.

I have tons of photos to show from the market, but I think I'm going to just upload all of them to a flickr group and post a link when I have more time.  I am also going to get busy on the market website, too, getting it updated with more current photos and hopefully adding a few more features, but that too takes time and there doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day anymore!