Things I Learned at Farmer's Market 8/7/2010
I'm clearly in avoidance mode here with a Sunday School class to teach tomorrow and a speech to give at Obsess, the retreat for 13-16 year old girls at CBS this weekend--and I'm blogging instead of studying. But I'm afraid I'll forget these things if I don't write them now.
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I know now how to deliver fresh, perfect Kansas-grown sweet corn. At least I know how Gaedderts does it. Arlyn, whose family has a market booth near the Gaedderts told me that they spray it aerially every other day. It's irrigated, of course, and harvested mechanically early on market day. High school students in need of a summer job help sort and pack it into crates and load it onto big low trailers to haul it to market. At market, they count out ears into bags for customers and, after $5.50 changes hands, the dozen ears go home with the customer.
I don't think we'll be gearing up to grow sweet corn for market any time soon. Neither an airplane or a corn harvester are on our shopping list.
**********************
I bought a jar of sand hill plum jelly from Cathy. I told her the plums in our pasture weren't nearly ripe when I checked them a week or so ago, and wondered where she found ripe plums to make her jelly. "Are there different kinds of sand hill plums?" I asked her.
"Earl told me there are seven different kinds in this area," Cathy said. "Each of them ripens at a slightly different time."
"Do they all get bright red when they're ripe?"
"No, there's one that's a peach color when it's ripe. It makes a lovely jelly. I always pick mine a little before they're completely ripe. That way I beat the bugs to them, and they ripen very nicely on the dining room table."
***********************
Someone told me today that she was at a K-State experiment station tour where she saw Malabar Spinach being grown. When she saw ours today, she was the only person who recognized it. When people asked about the flavor, if we gave them a taste, they always ended up buying the spinach. This is definitely a crop we will grow again for market next year.
The chef who served sample food with ingredients purchased at the market bought spinach at our booth. Later he brought a customer to our booth to show us where he got the spinach, but we were already sold out by that time. Hiromi may be sorry by now that he made me get rid of the last half of the plants, and I gave them to Donald's family so as not to see them going to waste. They brought some to market as well today.
***********************
Every single tomato of ours sold. I think this may have been the case with others vendors as well. We brought home only rhubarb and a few peppers. And flowers--way too many of them.
***********************
Some people like okra only several inches long. We've found that it's often still very tender even after it's about 5 inches long.
***********************
Colored peppers are a big hit at market, as are early peppers of all kinds. Note to self: Repeat growing early peppers next year.
***********************
After market was over today we talked with Pam, another vendor, about how much work marketing is. Pam said she does it because she loves to cook, and they couldn't possibly eat all the things at home that she loves to cook. Selling it gives her a way to indulge her hobby. I would guess there is some of that element in a lot of the reasons we punish ourselves so thoroughly and regularly with 5:00 or earlier risings, and slogging through blistering Saturday market days. It's the hobby factor and connecting with people that makes it worthwhile.
***********************
Otis, who is about 20 months old, must have remembered past visits to the market because he announced when they pulled up to the building, "Otis eat peach." I saw him, peach in hand and in mouth.
**********************
Quote from Mary, a former co-worker of Hiromi's: You've made a real farmer out of him."
*********************
It was windy enough to blow over one of my flower-filled vases today. Spilled floral preservative water makes the tablecloth very stiff as it dries so we had to wash and dry it when we got home.
********************
"I love your curtains," someone told us today. They're made from green and white pin-striped Martha Stewart flat sheets I got at K-Mart at least five years ago. I cut them up to make curtains for the dressing room here at home, and used the leftover fabric to make a curtain to put up as a sun-block early in the day at market. We're on the east side, and otherwise customers can't look at our offerings without being nearly blinded by the bright sunshine.
Since the double row of vendors in the middle of the building has necessitated the outside rows being shoved further to the perimeter of the building, we had sunshine on our backs way too long on hot days. So I stole one set of curtains from the dressing room and added a lower tier of curtains that we position strategically behind us to provide cooling shade. Bungee cord which we bought in bulk provides the "curtain rod," and hooks secure it at the posts in the back corners of our stall.
***********************
"So that's Swiss Chard. I've been hearing about it on the food channel and I'm glad to know I can buy it here. I've never tasted it."--Another quote from a customer.
***********************
Three or four customers lamented having come to late to buy okra.
***********************
I met the grandson today of my high school bus driver. His last name is Perkins. He wishes someone would roast and serve hot peppers at the market like they did at the Great Bend market he used to go to. Hiromi urged him to do what it takes to provide such a service. I don't know how he could do it without a restaurant license. I wish people could do some such things without having to jump through so many hoops.
**********************
A fellow Hiromi used to bowl with about 30 years ago came to buy okra. He was inordinately pleased to find that this time we weren't sold out yet. It was the third time this year he had tried, with every previous attempt ending in failure.
**********************
No one provided any music at market today. I saw Mark R. and Ron N. talking, and I suspect they were trying to figure out what went wrong in the schedule, or perhaps they knew and were lamenting what happened. They usually are both involved in the planning of this part of the market day.
**********************
I know now how to deliver fresh, perfect Kansas-grown sweet corn. At least I know how Gaedderts does it. Arlyn, whose family has a market booth near the Gaedderts told me that they spray it aerially every other day. It's irrigated, of course, and harvested mechanically early on market day. High school students in need of a summer job help sort and pack it into crates and load it onto big low trailers to haul it to market. At market, they count out ears into bags for customers and, after $5.50 changes hands, the dozen ears go home with the customer.
I don't think we'll be gearing up to grow sweet corn for market any time soon. Neither an airplane or a corn harvester are on our shopping list.
**********************
I bought a jar of sand hill plum jelly from Cathy. I told her the plums in our pasture weren't nearly ripe when I checked them a week or so ago, and wondered where she found ripe plums to make her jelly. "Are there different kinds of sand hill plums?" I asked her.
"Earl told me there are seven different kinds in this area," Cathy said. "Each of them ripens at a slightly different time."
"Do they all get bright red when they're ripe?"
"No, there's one that's a peach color when it's ripe. It makes a lovely jelly. I always pick mine a little before they're completely ripe. That way I beat the bugs to them, and they ripen very nicely on the dining room table."
***********************
Someone told me today that she was at a K-State experiment station tour where she saw Malabar Spinach being grown. When she saw ours today, she was the only person who recognized it. When people asked about the flavor, if we gave them a taste, they always ended up buying the spinach. This is definitely a crop we will grow again for market next year.
The chef who served sample food with ingredients purchased at the market bought spinach at our booth. Later he brought a customer to our booth to show us where he got the spinach, but we were already sold out by that time. Hiromi may be sorry by now that he made me get rid of the last half of the plants, and I gave them to Donald's family so as not to see them going to waste. They brought some to market as well today.
***********************
Every single tomato of ours sold. I think this may have been the case with others vendors as well. We brought home only rhubarb and a few peppers. And flowers--way too many of them.
***********************
Some people like okra only several inches long. We've found that it's often still very tender even after it's about 5 inches long.
***********************
Colored peppers are a big hit at market, as are early peppers of all kinds. Note to self: Repeat growing early peppers next year.
***********************
After market was over today we talked with Pam, another vendor, about how much work marketing is. Pam said she does it because she loves to cook, and they couldn't possibly eat all the things at home that she loves to cook. Selling it gives her a way to indulge her hobby. I would guess there is some of that element in a lot of the reasons we punish ourselves so thoroughly and regularly with 5:00 or earlier risings, and slogging through blistering Saturday market days. It's the hobby factor and connecting with people that makes it worthwhile.
***********************
Otis, who is about 20 months old, must have remembered past visits to the market because he announced when they pulled up to the building, "Otis eat peach." I saw him, peach in hand and in mouth.
**********************
Quote from Mary, a former co-worker of Hiromi's: You've made a real farmer out of him."
*********************
It was windy enough to blow over one of my flower-filled vases today. Spilled floral preservative water makes the tablecloth very stiff as it dries so we had to wash and dry it when we got home.
********************
"I love your curtains," someone told us today. They're made from green and white pin-striped Martha Stewart flat sheets I got at K-Mart at least five years ago. I cut them up to make curtains for the dressing room here at home, and used the leftover fabric to make a curtain to put up as a sun-block early in the day at market. We're on the east side, and otherwise customers can't look at our offerings without being nearly blinded by the bright sunshine.
Since the double row of vendors in the middle of the building has necessitated the outside rows being shoved further to the perimeter of the building, we had sunshine on our backs way too long on hot days. So I stole one set of curtains from the dressing room and added a lower tier of curtains that we position strategically behind us to provide cooling shade. Bungee cord which we bought in bulk provides the "curtain rod," and hooks secure it at the posts in the back corners of our stall.
***********************
"So that's Swiss Chard. I've been hearing about it on the food channel and I'm glad to know I can buy it here. I've never tasted it."--Another quote from a customer.
***********************
Three or four customers lamented having come to late to buy okra.
***********************
I met the grandson today of my high school bus driver. His last name is Perkins. He wishes someone would roast and serve hot peppers at the market like they did at the Great Bend market he used to go to. Hiromi urged him to do what it takes to provide such a service. I don't know how he could do it without a restaurant license. I wish people could do some such things without having to jump through so many hoops.
**********************
A fellow Hiromi used to bowl with about 30 years ago came to buy okra. He was inordinately pleased to find that this time we weren't sold out yet. It was the third time this year he had tried, with every previous attempt ending in failure.
**********************
No one provided any music at market today. I saw Mark R. and Ron N. talking, and I suspect they were trying to figure out what went wrong in the schedule, or perhaps they knew and were lamenting what happened. They usually are both involved in the planning of this part of the market day.
posted by Mrs. I at
9:12 PM
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