Coudersport Farmer's Market Is Shaping Up For A Great Year!

On Sunday, we had our second Potter County Farmer's Market group meeting and I feel that all the farmers are becoming very excited about the upcoming season.  We have a few new people joining the group and I know that our customers will be excited by the new additions.  Our market continues to grow, evolve and diversify!  

The meeting was a potluck and most everyone brought something that has elements of the food grown on their farm.  The pasta with pesto was divine.  The french bread had the perfect crunchiness.  Dilled garlic scapes made a fiery and tasty hit.  Lamb pate?  I've never had it before, but I hope to have it again!  Chili, lasagne, and much much more.  Every bite tasted absolutely delicious!  

When I get this season's scapes they will be canned in a dilly bean brine.

Thank you to the Metzger's of Metzger's Farm for hosting us!        

Bunnies Running Loose and Farmers Market 2013

Yesterday as we headed for our Farmer's Market meeting, my son thought he saw "something" hopping around the high tunnels.  He thought it might be a wild rabbit.  

Later that evening, I found out he had spent an hour chasing baby bunnies!  It appears I hadn't latched the door to their cage securely and the latch popped off and the bunnies went out to explore.  He said they could run fast!  He finally caught them by herding them underneath our large bunny cage and enticing them out with carrots and then snagging them.  

I went to look at the little criminals and the mother bunny wasn't there!  We looked for her in the dark without success and the snowy ground was covered with bunny trails that led to nowhere.

I got up this morning and went "wabbit hunting."  After poking around in little nooks and crannies I finally found momma bunny tucked up underneath our large rabbit cage.  She was no worse for the wear - just very thirsty and dirty!    

Farmer's Market 2013.  Planning has begun!  We are moving location a little bit farther away from the intersection of Rt. 6 and Rt. 44 due to heavy truck traffic causing choking exhaust fumes and enough noise that conversations have to be suspended.  Another "benefit" of fracking.  Please note the very heavy sarcasm.

We've begun to plan our Farmer's Market times and dates.  We plan on Fridays as usual and plenty of high traffic Saturdays as well!  

Much more info will be coming!

Coudersport Market Farmers Meeting 2012

What is a Farmer's Market?

Definition: A farmers market (a.k.a. greenmarket) is a place where farmers sell their products directly to consumers. Ultra-fresh produce, pastured meat and eggs, artisan cheeses, hand-harvested honey, and other fresh, small-batch foodstuffs are the hallmark (and benchmark) of the best farmers markets. They serve not just as a place for farmers to get the best price and consumers to get the best products, but as venues for producers and consumers of food to come together, forge relationships, and exchange information.

Note: Some "farmers markets" have vendors that sell produce they bought from wholesalers and then re-sell to consumers. Are there bananas at your farmers market in Minnesota? Be suspicious. That produce is the same that is available in supermarkets, which is fine, but then why go to the trouble of going to a farmers market?

~From www.About.com

Last night we held the first Market Farmer's meeting of the year.  We feel that the purpose of a local Farmer's Market is to promote our local farmers and craftspeople who are putting their own sweat, blood, and sometimes tears, into their products.  So we felt we needed to hammer down some guidelines for next years Farmer's Market.  Here's what we came up with so far (in some areas we'll have to get approval).

The Coudersport Farmer's Market will be held on Fridays, from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., instead of on Saturdays - except for one Saturday a month that will coincide with a proposed "Saturday on the Square" project by the Coudersport Chamber of Commerce.  We hope this change to a weekday will give the people who work in town an opportunity to visit us.  We will also set up on Festival and high volume Saturdays, like the Maple Festival, the 4th of July weekend, the Falling Leaves festival, etc.   

The Market is free for those who are coming and selling their own produce - or up to 75% of their own produce or items (crafts, etc.)  - with the other portion coming from a local farmer.

Anyone selling more then 75% of someone else's produce or items will be charged a fee.

That's about it.  As we get closer to time - and following future market farmer meetings - I'll keep you updated!

The 2011 Coudersport Courthouse Square Farmers Market Opens!

We finally opened yesterday!  I didn't have much to sell due to the cold, wet spring we've had.  I had my free-range eggs and some beautiful, almost ready to bloom chives (try them chopped up in your scrambled eggs or use the pretty blooms in a salad, yum!), but I filled out my booth with Carol Jackson's wonderful jams, jelly, and preserves and with Brydonson Farm's maple syrup and maple mustard. I also put out handmade cherry and oak hampers, potato and onion bins, and cutting boards made by Carol's son and soy candles (so much better for you).  Unfortunately the hampers and bins will only be offered the one day because they are hard to  move and I'm afraid I'm going to damage them!

Hydeaway Farm was there with tons and tons of beautiful flower baskets and plant six-packs.  In the next few weekends he'll be bringing more perennials and small shrubs.  I think, with the warm weather, that people are finally getting the fever to plant!

We did pretty well.  I pretty much sold out of most of my jams and jellies.  You know you're doing something good for the world when you can buy something that is made or grown, from start to finish, right near where you live!

Coudersport Farmer's Market

Courthouse Square

Coudersport, PA

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Come and see us!

Thank You Potter Leader-Enterprise Newspaper

 A great big thanks goes out to the Potter Leader-Enterprise (our local newspaper) for the great story about the Coudersport Farmer's Market opening on Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to the great story, I'd like to remind everyone that a Farmer's Market is a community project.  Of course the customers are the most important part!  We don't have a purpose without you!

But I'd like to remember all the different people in the farming community who have contributed to helping our Farmer's Market a better place to shop.

For example, there's Wooleylot Farm, who set up at the Farmer's Market last year with the best garlic you'll ever taste and he's working to develop a Potter County heritage garlic!

There's Tadd Ostroski who specializes in fiery hot peppers - and grows some unique varieties - and is branching into specialty black- and rasp- berries.

 A few years ago, Sean McKeone from McKeone's Orchard and Nursery set up with his fruit trees and a wide variety of potatoes.  We purchased stevia plants and enjoyed tasting the incredibly sweet leaves.

Jim Reed and his family have come to the Farmer's Market and contributed with absolutely beautiful, just-picked, organically grown corn and tomatoes as well as a variety of other organic vegetables.

Joe Bailey, Miles Produce, Gobblers Knob Farm, the list of contributers goes on and on.  Over the years they have all helped to keeping the Farmer's Market alive.     

If you come, we will grow!

Farmer's Market Vendors:  Please remember, we ask that to help build the Coudersport Farmer's Market and as a courtesy to our local Chamber of Commerce (so that we continue to receive our Farmer's Market benefits!), that you set up at the Saturday Farmer's Market for three non-peak days before you enjoy the benefit of being part of the Farmer's Market during peak weekends (i.e. 4th of July Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, and during the Falling Leaves Festival)   

Why Buy Locally?

Image: Will Etling's "Sustain," originally for GOOD magazine and contributed to Green Patriot Posters.

Yesterday evening, some of our Farmer's Market farmers met with a reporter from our local newspaper, the Potter Leader Enterprise, to talk about the upcoming Coudersport Farmer's Market. One of her final questions was "Why should people buy their produce at the Farmer's Market?"

Taste

Freshness

Less vitamin loss

You know who's growing your food and they hold responsibility

You can talk to your farmer about how the produce was grown: chemicals?, pesticides?, etc

Price - often our Farmer's Market prices are equal to or even less than the local grocery stores

Locally grown = less gas used to bring it to your area

The list went on and on.  

To buy from your local producers is the very tip of an enormous iceberg of responsibility.  When you buy locally you're supporting your local economy.  When you buy locally it cuts down on the number of trucks bringing your produce to you (often all the way from Mexico!) and this decreases national gas consumption, thus decreasing American dependence on foreign oil and gas.  Less trucks driving means less air pollution.  Which means a decrease of the destruction of the ozone layer.  Which then decreases incidences of skin cancer.  Which decreases medical bills.  You can see where this is going.  Socially, politically, environmentally, economically, and more - it really is good sense to buy from your local farmer.  

Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Think Globally, Act Locally  

  

The Farmer's Market will kick off slowly on May 28th.  The cold and rainy weather has set back our planting season, but we'll have some fresh produce, locally canned vegetable and preserves, and local maple syrup.  We may only be one booth.  But if you come, we will grow!  We look forward to seeing you!  

Coudersport Farmer's Market

Coudersport Town Square

Coudersport, PA

Saturdays,  9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Farmer's Market Before and After

As the season progresses we find we have less to bring to the Farmer's Market. We are working hard to keep vegetables available through the first weekend in October. I have a dream of having a small clientele that will buy leafy vegetables from me through October and November.

It's been a learning experience. I thought fresh basil would be a huge seller and I planted a lot. Surprisingly people don't buy it so much - and I sell it in huge bunches so that there's enough to make a nice pesto! Beets and acorn squash are very popular right now and I didn't plant as much as I should have.

Next year I'll plant less basil and more beets and acorn squash.



Farmer's Market Table Before:






Farmer's Market Table After:






By the way, Heather did some research and found out her bunny, Clover, is MR. Clover.



The chickens are still averaging about 5 or 6 eggs a day with an occasional 7 egg day and a very occasional 3 or 4 egg day.

Farmer's Market A Success!

We had our grand opening of the Coudersport Farmer's Market yesterday. I feel it was a complete success!

In previous years the Farmer's Market had been one big tent with everything underneath. But that system required an inordinate amount of work for the one person setting it up.

I thought that maybe it would be better if each farmer brought their own tent and produce as they could come. It worked very well! It increased the visual appeal and now each farmer can come as they are able. We hope to end up with a very nice sampling from many small farmers in the region.



Fitzgerald's Family Farm booth with mixed vegetables, herbs, canned goods, jellies, and maple syrup:





Misty and Katy Reed's booth. They specialize in mixed vegetables and happily had many things that I didn't carry - including potatoes, onions, and lots of gorgeous cucumbers!
















Tadd and Ellen Ostraski's booth. Hot and sweet peppers of all kinds!
















Alvie Fourness' booth. The world's best garlic.















Two handsome boys! Sadly, Heather was home ill with strep throat.
















The "Tom Corbett for Governor" bus came through on it's whistle stop tour while we were there at the farmer's market (you can see it in the background of the first picture [right click to blow up the picture]). He came around and shook everyone's hands.

I have a feeling that when the people running this campaign saw a small town farmer's market in a picturesque little square their eyes lit up and went "ka-ching!"

7 eggs : )