Farmer's Market

Today was the big day -- the opening of the 2009 Farmer's Market season. The parking lot was full of vendors and full of goodies, as promised. I don't have that many years of local market experience under my belt, but it looked like a great turnout for the first market of the year.

I had to take a picture of this enormous morel mushroom. This young lady's family had them for sale at $20 per pound. (They weren't all this big.) From what I've seen, that's a fantastic price. She was telling me that her family collected more than 300 mushrooms last year and this year they are already up to 100.


Our 4-H club is providing Veggie Valet services at the market this year. This is a new thing and I think it will be fun. They were a little disappointed that so many people turned them down when they asked to help carry boxes and produce, but I assured them this was typical of independent Kansans. Of course they can do it themselves! But as they get accustomed to seeing us there (and as bigger fruits and veggies come into season) I think people will start to make use of the Veggie Valets.

If you are an Emporia Farmer's Marketer -- don't be shy about asking a Valet to carry your bags as you shop!! This is a volunteer project for the club and the kids will have a lot more fun if we keep them busy.

Here they are eating rice crispie treats. A new family of vendors had a stack of them and they just looked too good to pass up.