March Winter Market Day

Me at market in Oxford, OH this morning before we sold out of most things

Went to market this morning to sell dried herbs, garlic and leafy greens. Sold out of all the leafy greens we took, sold about 20 heads of garlic and a few packets of herbs.

there were a decent amount of vendors selling all sorts of things from bread made in a brick oven to veggie seedlings to meat to eggs to soap to apples to goats. yes goats, Deborah Bowles brought two buck kids to market and was selling them for $35 plus a feeding bottle and instructions. They were way cute. One started bleating when Crossan Curry (old family friend, artist and former goat man who was made to give up his goat herd due to age infirmities) showed up. I guess the one knew when a goat devotee is in the house

It was clear but cold with a brisk wind careening through the market. After it being in the seventies earlier this week no one seemed to appreciate the invigorating breeze. I believe we are all more than ready for spring to come on in.

Saw 3 of my canine friends-Skye the Scottish deerhound, Gilligan, the Heinz 57 and Stormy, the chocolate lab. Saw lots of human friends as well.

Bought a months' worth of meat from the Filbruns and was happy to Evelyn, the matriarch of the farm. She does not often come to the Oxford Market, usually it's Dale or some combination of their kids. I also bough eggs. I don't have to buy veggies as the garden is providing them regularly now.

Scott, the guy who sells apples and cider next to us, told us about a weasel that has been getting into his chickens and killing them. The weasel is driving him crazy because he cannot find it to kill it. Says the thing has got him muttering things to himself. Varmints will do that to a person.

Our bane, once again, is voles. The little bastards are having a fine time eating our snow and snap peas we have planted in a hoop house. Eugene way over planted the peas so they would survive the onslaught but I am wondering if there are enough peas on the planet to feed these voracious rodents. We do have a decent stand of peas and they are getting big enough to with stand the vole onset but they have over grazed fairly large areas and every morning we find more vacant area. We have traps in the hoop houses and the dogs have been busy all winter hunting moles and voles and have been getting 2 to 3 a day so we know the population is steadily getting smaller. Someday they will be under control.

Oh yeah it looks like I get to manage the Tuesday market for this year. I will be working with someone named Derek on getting vendors to come to this market. It will be officially known as the Tuesday Mini market. Sounds a bit like a convenience store only one that does not sell beer or cigarettes. Deborah Bowles said she was willing to help with this too. I was hoping, 3 years ago when the OFMU took over the Tuesday market, I would not have to be manager any longer but last year things went south on the market and it almost was killed off. I now realize this is my baby, I have been with this market since its' birth and if I want it to succeed I am going to have to spend a few more years nurturing it. But, at least this year it sounds like I have some support other than my buddy Jules who was the real originator of this market and who came out retirement last summer to keep it alive with me. Hopefully this will become a wonderful, growing, weekday market.