We threw around great ideas and received great advice. I think one of the great pieces of advice given by Joe Bailey was that we must be aware that the the weekly Farmer's Market acts as a showcase for the participating farmer. We won't necessarily make a lot of money there, but it acts as a stepping stone for other ventures - one example being the the weekly shares (CSAs).
Jim Reed talked about plans for a permanent farm stand in which all the farmers could participate and that would give the community a chance to buy fresh, naturally grown products - meats, vegetables, jellies, even growing supplies, and more - locally. Even the big box stores like Walmart are waking up to the "buy local, buy natural" movement. Now, I don't know what their version of "local" may be, but listen to their commercials - interesting....
One of the best part of the night was listening to people's plans for this growing year. Most everyone has a certain plant that catches their interest. Knowing where their concentration lies means I can grow less of that myself and focus on other things. It eases the burden of having to grow everything.
I'm fired up now. I can't wait to get going with this year's garden. I have spring fever and know that this year I will have the perfect garden! (ha ha)
P.S. Please be sure to check out my updated blog list. I've added three new sites who are local Potter County growers.
