Catching up

Though I haven't been posting much here recently, I have been a busy bee working on farmers market stuff. Here's an update of some cool things that I have been working on that you might enjoy:

I have been working with my friend Will Morrow to help set up the North Market Farmers Market. Will is organizing the market, which will be Wednesdays 3-7PM beginning June 9 at the old Carmack Jays site next to Old Towne Tavern on Market Street in downtown Frederick (331 North Market Street). I am really excited about this market; Market Street is actually named after a farmers market that started back in 1746 by a man named Daniel Dulaney, who had laid out the town of Frederick a year before on part of Taskers Chance.

According to the City of Frederick, Dulaney's "vision for Frederick-Town was clear, having encouraged the development of the surrounding area with productive grain farms, his new town would serve as a regional market town; a place to gather agricultural products for refinement, shipment or local sale, and where goods could be purchased by town residents and the surrounding community...In 1746, Dulaney received permission from the Proprietary to hold a weekly market at Frederick-Town, and by 1747 he was placing advertisements in the Maryland Gazette for a fair “at Frederick-Town, near Monocacy,” and a market “to be held there every Saturday." The press release for the market, put out by Colby Ferguson from Frederick County Economic Development, has a great quote from Will:

“After a 52 year hiatus we're bringing the Farmers Market back to Market Street,” stated Will Morrow of Whitmore Farm, and Market organizer. “The oldest and longest running Farmers Market used to be on Market Street. The original market was established in 1746 and served as the center of agricultural commerce for Frederick County for 212 years!”

So far the market will have meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs, baked goods, cut flowers, soaps, plants, fiber, and yarn. Will is still talking to vendors so there may be even more. Check out the market on facebook. I designed the logo :)

I also worked on a logo for the Big White Barn Tomato Festival with my friend Hilda. I'll follow up when I have more details.

Other than this past weekend when I went camping, I have been going to the West Frederick Farmers Market a lot. My boyfriend is addicted to the fat asparagus spears at Scenic View Orchard. The season for that is probably close to over, which is sad. On the other hand, it's really fun to be able to eat the foods that are in season at the times when they are available; they are more special that way. I can't wait for blueberries and tomatoes to be in.

The Shab Row and Everedy Square Farmers Market opened for the season on Thursday. I didn't make it this week but am hoping to go next week.

I talked to Colby Ferguson and we chatted about market stuff. He runs the Virtual Farmers Market, organizes the Family Festival at the Farm, and publishes the Wine Trail Brochure and Frederick County Farm Guide. Colby says there's a bunch of new markets coming this year, including one in Myersville and maybe one in New Market. There are farmers markets every day of the week now in Frederick County except Monday. I hope all of these markets are successful.

The 2010 farm guide is out, and Colby needs to get a pdf of it to put it on his website, because he still has the 2009 guide up. That guide is useful. I did see that the Truffle King had the new printed guides at his booth at the West Frederick Farmers Market on Saturday, so you can get one from him.

If you are interested in buying a CSA share and have not done so yet, visit here.

My little sister Precious and I visited our friend Chad from Chad Stull Organic Produce and Mount Zion CSA in his greenhouse yesterday. I haven't seen him much recently, but when you have friends that are farmers, you never see them this time of year unless you help out on their farms or at least visit them there. That's how it goes. Chad had kept our tomato seedlings alive that we had planted and then so rudely neglected. Other than a few weeds that I pulled out, they looked good. I need to transplant them.

I am having friends over for dinner on Saturday, and I can't wait to see what is at the market on Saturday morning.

Shannon