OttawaHerald.com -- Community News. Community Connections.

	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

Subscriber Services Home Delivery Gift Subscription Stop-Start Delivery Missing Paper Back Issues Newsstand Locations Shopper Locations

Advertising Services Manage Your Account Place a Classified Ad Place a Display Ad Advertise Online Business Finder Directory

Other Services Submit News Laminated Items Photos & Keepsakes Article Archives Contact Us History of the Herald Our Policies

Suggest a poll topic

2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Friday, August 07, 2009 10:16 PM

ASK A PROFESSIONAL: Where can you find garden-fresh produce?

By LINDA BROWN, Ask A Professional

August is Kansas Farmers Market month and what better place to shop for food to help us through the third week of the Locavore Challenge.

As you may remember from updates the previous two weeks, a locavore is a person who eats only foods grown and produced locally. Herald photographer Elliot Sutherland and his wife, Teresa, have taken the Locavore Challenge and are trying to eat at least one meal a day made entirely from local food items.

The twice-weekly Farmers Market is sponsored by the Franklin County Horticultural Growers Association from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Orscheln Farm and Home parking lot, 2008 S. Princeton St., Ottawa.

The produce and fruit offered weekly depend largely on what’s in season at any given time.

This past week, Fredrick’s Gardens offered onions, pear tomatoes, lots and lots of cantaloupe, yellow beans, tomatoes, onions, egg plant green peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos and hot banana peppers. The zucchini, cucumbers and butter stick squash looked good enough to, well, eat.

Kamie’s Baking had delicious-looking tea rings, apple, blackberry and strawberry-rhubarb pie. I could feel my waistband tightening just looking at those homemade goodies.

Becky’s Pies and Produce had cantaloupe, tomatoes, green beans and cheese bread.

Heck Farms had a truckload of impressive-looking sweet corn.

Sweetly Baking was another dangerous booth for anyone with a sweet tooth. Breads, cookies, scones, crunch bars and homemade pies are difficult to just walk away from.

Christine Emming, Sweetly owner and chief baker, said this is her first year at the Farmers Market.

“It’s been an adventure trying to get everything ready twice a week,” she said. “But it’s been fun to meet everybody and fun to visit with each other and the customers.”

Valley View Elk Ranch had elk snack sticks and jerky and was taking orders for elk meat. For those who never have tried elk meat, a display of elk cookbooks also was available.

Martha Fitzmaurice was offering goat milk soap along with alpaca yarn and sheep wool yarn and some woven items.

Fitzmaurice said she sells enough at the Farmers Market to support her hobby.

“I make enough to keep going, and it keeps me out of mischief,” she said.

Mike Gerhardt from Pome on the Range Orchards and Winery in Homewood had peaches, blueberries and blackberries available.

Gerhardt said the Farmers Market has about 20 full-time members.

“We have a board of directors, by-laws and membership fees,” he said. “We meet maybe twice a year and decide on booth space location and that kind of thing. We also allow day stalls that go for around $15 a day for those who don’t grow enough variety to be here the entire season.”

Growers get a higher return by selling direct to consumers from a Farmers Market atmosphere and, since local growers spend their money with local merchants, the Farmers Market is good for the local economy.

The good news for growers is the interest in locally grown food is increasing. In 1987, there were fewer than 30 Farmers Markets statewide. Today, there are more than 80.

Whether you’re taking the Locavore Challenge or just have a hankering for some fresh-from-the-garden produce the Farmers Market is the place to shop.

Linda Brown is marketing director for The Ottawa Herald. E-mail her at lbrown@ottawaherald.com.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

ASK A PROFESSIONAL: Where can you find garden-fresh produce?

By LINDA BROWN, Ask A Professional

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.