Dawn Troutner Toledo Market Master

Market Report for August 5, 2016

It was a pleasant night for the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Kristi had plenty of delicious bakery, kolaches, rolicky, twisty’s, cookies, breads, bars, rolls, and crisps. Cindy brought taters, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, cantaloupe, and Rod to market. His job was to dust off the tomatoes. Caryn had plenty of caramel and kettle corn and snack mixes. aryn also brought the cotton candy machine and it was sweetly delicious.

Darold was back this week with taters, tomatoes, okra, hot peppers, including chilies, bell peppers, and egg plant. Jim and Penny were there with Busy Bee Acres honey. Chuck and Ginger had a table full of pies, breads, popcorn, taters, okra, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, spaghetti squash, leeks, and beets. Tom and Nancy had an assortment of frozen buffalo meat, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, zucchini, and acorn squash. Dawn brought jams, jellies, homemade soaps, dried herbs, fresh herbs, onions, beets, white grapes, rhubarb, tomatoes, taters, fresh dill, banana peppers, green beans, and French long beans.

Sheryl was back this week with ceramic, scrubbies, hand made hot pads, bowl holders, oven mitts, sweet corn or tater pouches, towel sets and a smile. Brenda, Ethan, and Lois brought green beans, cabbage, egg plant, green peppers, tomatoes, kohlrabi, cucumbers, and zucchini. Janice had mini pies, breads, rolls, oatmeal mixes, Bob’s honey, muffins, tomatoes, and peppers. Jim was back from vacation with his hand made leather items, wallets, coin purses, belts, holsters, key chains, and hair ties. Bailey was there with mini pies, medium pies and large pies she also made some breads. Karen had her soy candles and soy candle product. Karen has the smelliest table around. Kathy had rolls, kolaches, cookies, asiago breads, twisted rolls, and Danish. My Mother’s Place had snow cones. And Red Earth Gardens had ground cherries, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans. Red Earth Gardens will not be at market next week.

Help celebrate the 17th Annual National Farmers Market Week August 7-13. Visit the Toledo Farmers’ market along with other favorite markets.

Here are some interesting facts- Farmers Markets provide beginning farmers financial security to grow their business. Farmers Markets protect farmland from development, 1 in 4 farmers at markets farm on protected land. Support your farmer. Most get only 15.8 percent of each dollar of sales. But farmers at farmers markets get fair pay. Farmers Market stimulates economies. Every dollar spent at farmers markets leads to additional sales at nearby business. Farmers Markets is often fresher, cheaper, and healthier than other food. People eat more fruits and veggies when they shop at a farmers market instead of a grocery store. Farmers markets give farmers a place to sell their healthy produce and educate shoppers. Three in five farmers selling at farmers markets educate shoppers about nutrition and food prep. Three in four farmers selling at farmers markets use practices consistent with organic standards. Farmers Markets promote sustainability. People tend to have more social encounters at farmers markets than at grocery stores. And according to the USDA more than 60 percent of farmers markets are managed by volunteers. Love your farmers market not only August 7-13th, but every time you visit one.

See you at market.