Farmer's Market Blues

I belong to the area's "Go Green" Farmer's Market. Originally "Aitkin Farmer's Market" it is 4 years running. At the 2008 planning stages of our market in March we ended up with 14 vendors signed on and things looked promising. We opened it up to crafters. Last year's market was poor and we really wondered how this year would pan out. We thought we had a chance to really make it work.

The first few markets had a good show of vendors. Since then it has primarily been me and Kris. We are so saddened and frustrated. Besides only us two vendors, we are not getting the support from local customers and buyers. We think there are a couple factors; a local CSA and large garden/produce farm in Aitkin, too many local personal gardens...? Who knows...

So that brings me to this dilemma. I will have extra produce. Actually quite a bit of produce. I planted enough cabbage, kale, Kolarabi, zuchinni to feed an army. I am selling some to the Brainerd Crow Wing Coop where I have a wholesale account for my product. A good friend is helping by telling her co-workers about my produce and I delivered a bit today on my way to Brainerd.
So I will be sending out emails every weekend to let friends, acquaintance know what I've got available for that week. Drop-offs will be either Monday, Tues, Wed. depending on where you live. You may come out to the farm and pick up your produce. This must be arranged a head of time.

All of my produce is from seeds I started myself and are heirloom or organic. Everything is natural and pesticide free. It is freshly picked and will be amazingly tasty and healthy.
That's my speal...please call or email me if you are interested and....if you'd like a market basket...here is an offer that is a great idea suggested by my friend Christine. Each week you can purchase a market basket full of fresh vegetables and herbs that are available that week. For a family of (2) the basket is $16, and for a family of (4) the basket is $28.

BTW...I still have 6#'s of yellow beans available that I picked yesterday.
$2 a pound.

Thanks! Don't miss out on a chance at home grown and healthy produce!

Terri

Lughnassadh

August 1st: Irish Gaelic for "festival of Lugh". LOO-nah-sah. Like the other fire festivals, this one too was once celebrated with great bonfires. People gatherd on the sacred hills, and visited the sacred wells. This is time in which connecting with one's personal gods/goddesses is important. Some have mistakenly thought that Lughnassadh was a festival that celebrated Lugh, but in reality it was a funeral festival held for his foster-mother Tailltiu (pronounced Telsha), who had died under the strain of clearing the plain in Ireland that bears her name. The legendary Telltown Races wer held on this plain up until the early modern period. In the spirit of Tailltius' sacrifice fo her life, modern Celtic Pagans will take the time to remember that which has been sacrifices for them. This can be a personal sacrifice that was made for you, or a commulal sacrifice such as the Rainforests, or simply that which has sacrifieced in Nature due to man's greed. Like Bealtinne, Lughnassadh is also a traditional time for hand fasts, engagements, marriages and disseverments of previous relationships.