The farmer's market!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 2:13 am

We live now in a small Texas town called Madisonville. Maybe it's not so small as it has 4200 people and is larger than the one we lived in when we was in Arizona. dr always sold at the flea market in Arizona while I worked at the library. So, we brought some flea market stuff and we've been going to a lot of yard sales here. But, there are no flea markets here. They are called Trade Days and they are held in various places and are one weekend a month and people travel from one to the other. They are mostly too far for us to do that and they are generally for three days so we'd have to sleep in our truck which isn't equipped for that so we haven't been selling since we came here.
But, in May we were going into town and passed a large sign that said Farmer's Market. It said, produce, arts and crafts. So, we stopped because there was a man with a table full of the sort of stuff we sold at the flea market. Rick, the farmer who runs the place, said we could set up and sell what ever we wanted to sell. All we needed was a tarp for shade and two metal posts to pound into the ground. We hook to the posts of the stand next to us and add our two posts to the other side and the next person hooks his tarp to our posts. It makes for a long line of tarps and people.
So, we started setting up there. The man who was selling junk stopped coming and with the drought two of the farmer's stopped coming so it's down a bit.
We've enjoyed sitting there on Friday and Saturday and I like talking to the people who come and the farmers next to us. Rick is on the end and Art is next to us and Fred is on the other side of us. Anyway, I've benefited from being there by getting leftovers that they don't want to take home. Sometimes I pay a nominal amount and sometimes when I ask how much it's free because it isn't always the good things that are left and I have to sort and cut. But, I've put zucchini, yellow squash, corn, broccoli, tomatoes and assorted other things in the freezer. Not large amounts at one time but little bits every week. Now, tomorrow I will get peaches. Two dollars for a 40 lb box. How many boxes? As many as he brings for me. Could be one or two, could be ten. He says they will be need to be used quickly because they will be soft and he gets them cheap. So, I can freeze peaches, make peach jam, make peach pies and cobblers and all sorts of good things. Mainly they will go in the freezer first, I think. So, it is paying us to go sit there and sell a few things and chat with people and get stuff to put in the freezer.
Now, We still get to yard sales if they are on Thursday or early before we go to the farmer's market and lately they've had some sewing things, Material, patterns, threads, quilting stuff and of course I just had to buy it. Or some of it. I've been wondering just why I bought so much of it and have spent some time wondering what to do with it. It's hot to quilt right now and I do have Jacob's dinosaur quilt in the works. Then, I started to think about the farmer's market sign that says, produce, arts and crafts. So, what could I make out of all of this material that I could take to the market to sell. I've come up with aprons, adult and childrens, singly or as a set so grandma can teach or cook with grandchildren. Tote bags and shopping bags to carry to the grocery store or to keep sewing things in. Table runners and placemats, maybe. Wall hangings. I have a few pieces of material that would be good for those. Lap quilts for elderly people or kids watching tv in cooler weather. Pillow covers? dr says he will set me up with my own tables if I decide to do it. So, maybe this week I will try to get something put together. Aprons and tote bags to begin, maybe.
dr is going to try selling local products such as honey and barbecue and salsa's. He's been online searching out places and we will go visit a place on Monday that is about an hour's drive from us. They sell honey. Maybe we can find some other things as well or our trip.
I think with the peaches, craft sewing and day trips we will have a busy week ahead of us. I'm sort of excited to get started with it. I haven't been doing much since we moved except for the garden and a little writing. I do have a new Boomer story but it isn't edited yet so I'm not sure when I will get it posted here. Now, I think I will find that I will be keeping myself busy if I try this crafting bit of stuff.
I'll try to remember to take some pictures if I get things made.
Last week I made zucchini marmalade and strawberry jam, eight jars of each. I'm diabetic so I don't eat much jam but I've already gave some of it to neighbors or at the farmer's market.
I generally don't like to make things food wise to sell because there are so many things that can go wrong quickly and people are so quick to find fault and sue these days. I made bread last week and it turned out badly. It was like hard little bricks. I'm not sure if I goofed it up or it was the humid, rainy weather. Then, I made a chicken in my Nesco Roaster for supper one day. It's a good thing that I can laugh at myself because when I went to check if it was about done it was still cold. It always helps if you PLUG IT INTO THE OUTLET when you want it to cook something in the Nesco Roaster. Needless to say supper was a bit later than planned. I think some days I'm older than other days. I was reading where no one ever thinks they are old. I can say that's not true. Some days I am old. Most days I am not so old.
dooley

Last edited: Sat Jul 25, 2009 2:18 am

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Jewell2009 wrote on Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:42 am:

Sounds like you are so busy! Farmer's Markets can be so much fun. Went down to the local one this morning. It has grown so big and is nothing like it was when my son was little and we made wooden puzzles to sell. Your marmalade and jam sound delicous.

kuntrygal wrote on Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:03 am:

Our Farmers Mkt sells plants, but they are big ones from the mans farm/nursery that owns the Farmers Mkt. Amyhoo, you could start some small plants and sell them. I am always looking for small plants that are a little bit different. Wish I were a bit closer, I could make some totems for you to sell.

Sounds like you are having lots of fun, getting to chat with people and selling your wares.

People will be thinking about Christmas gifts (5 mo's away) and the placemats, aprons, tote bags, etc. sound like lovely gifts. Good luck with your endevors.