Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: May 28th Market Report

It's Market Wednesday, and State Street through Uptown Westerville is dressed for summer with colorful flower baskets, American flags, and lamppost banners.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is open for business today from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ N. Home and E. State St.

Weather forecast is mostly cloudy skies, temperatures in the low 80s and a 51% chance of rain between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

This week's confirmed market line-up: Doran's Family Farm, Hartzler Family Dairy, Bridgman Farm, Ohio Farm Direct, Dana Lee's, Sugar B Bakery, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Blue Jacket Dairy, Dan the Baker, Pleiades Maple Products, Swainway Urban Farm, Bildsten Landscape, Fox Hollow Farm, Bird's Haven Farms, Flying J Farm.

This week's community partner is Westerville Public Library.

By the way, there is a nice article in the May 2014 City Scene Magazine about Westerville Public Library's Market Wednesday appearances. Click or touch here to read the article.

In the produce and plant department, we expect to continue to see seedlings, hanging baskets and planters, lettuces, microgreens, mushrooms, green onions, asparagus, and rhubarb.

Our artisan vendors are bringing, breads and sweet & savory baked goods to market along with jams, salsas, tortilla chips, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Dairy selections include cheese, non-homogenized, pasteurized milk, roll butter, packaged ice cream, and drinkable yogurt. Market protein includes grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, lamb, hot dogs, summer sausage, and fresh eggs.

Market tip: If you plan on browsing and shopping, a cooler or hot/cold bag come in handy. Meat selections are sold frozen, and milk, cheese, and eggs are sold refrigerated.

As always, we appreciate your business!

See you at the market!

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Party at the Creek

 

It's time for the 3rd Annual Party at the Creek!

This Thursday, May 29th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

@Alum Creek Park North, 221 W. Main St.

Free Admission

Explore nature, tour scenic green spaces and waterways, and lots of family-friendly fun! Local nature and environmental groups will be on hand, as well as boater safety demonstrations, canoeing, food, and entertainment.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Remembering and Honoring a Friend

To create art with all the passion in one's soul is to live art with all the beauty in one's heart.  ~ Aberjhani, American Poet

We take this moment to remember and honor Westerville resident Jane Denick who passed in January.

The Denick's (Jane and husband Ralph) own Java Central, the coffee shop @ 20 S. State in Uptown Westerville. Java Central features signature roast coffee, food, live music, open mic nights, and art. Java Central regularly features art installations supporting local artists.

Jane was a tremendously kind, genuine person and true enthusiast of human expression through the arts.

On Saturday, May 31, 2014, we encourage you to take a few moments to attend the dedication of a memorial sculpture in honor of Jane Denick at Alum Creek Park North Amphitheater, on West Street, near W. Main, at 3:00 PM. The Denick family has donated the marble sculpture, created by Terry Schmitter, to honor Jane and her contributions to the arts.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Comfort Food

 

This week's bit of market wisdom comes from renowned American chef James Beard:

Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all food, and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.

Market Wednesday features three incredibly talented, passionate artisan bakers: Dan the Baker, Dana Lee's, and Sugar B Bakery.

Looking for fresh butter to go with your fresh bread? Hartzler Family Dairy features salted and unsalted small-batch roll butter.

Savory Breads from Dana Lee's.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Reach Out, Remember, Thank, Honor

 

A hero is someone who has given his or her life

 to something bigger than oneself. - Joseph Campbell

This beautiful Memorial Day Weekend is brought to you by the people (and all who love them) who have, do, and will put themselves, and their lives, on the line so we have the opportunity to thrive in a free nation.

We ask you to join us and take a moment to reach out, remember, thank, and honor in your own way – and that very much includes enjoying this weekend with friends and family.

Field of Heroes: @ N. Cleveland and County Line Rd. W: Friday, May 23^rd 1:00 p.m. through Monday, May 26^th 12:30 p.m.

Fourth Friday: Back to Nature May 23^rd  6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Uptown Westerville.

Field of Heroes 5K Walk/Run: Sunday, May 25th 8 a.m. @ the Westerville Sports Complex (N. Cleveland and County Line Rd.)

Memorial Day Parade: Monday, May 26^th 9:45 a.m. State and College in Uptown Westerville.

The Memorial Day Parade is a procession that begins at State and College, moves south on S. State Street to the Armory and then Bishop Drive to Knox to Otterbein Cemetery. Residents come Uptown to watch the procession and many follow along to the cemetery.

The vendors and management team of the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market wish you a safe, happy Memorial Day holiday!

 

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: May 21st Market Report

As amazing as it seems, and there may have been times this winter we never thought we'd see it, this weekend is Memorial Day Weekend.

Like last week, the biggest question mark of the day is what's up with the weather during market hours. The forecast continues to improve - and we are now looking at a 51% chance of a thunder storm between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and then cloudy skies to partly cloudy skies and no precipitation from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. market close. We should see a 9 to 10 mph breeze this afternoon and temperatures in the high 70s.

So, we'll keep everyone posted via social media as the weather adjusts.

This week's confirmed line-up: Hartzler Family Dairy, Doran's Family Farm, Ohio Farm Direct, Sugar B Bakery, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Blue Jacket Dairy, Dan the Baker, Pleiades Maple Products, Swainway Urban Farm, Bildsten Landscape, Fox Hollow Farm, and Flying J Farm.

We expect, and are awaiting confirmation from Dana Lee's.

Vendor Line-up Update: 5.21.14 9:40 a.m. We will not see Bird's Haven Farms today - the Bird family is attending an important school event for daughter Ella and Bridgman Farm is not coming to market today.

This week, we welcome Westerville Community Partners Westerville Police Division and Westerville Electric Division.

And, Meza, just south of the market at 48 N. State, features a specially-priced Market Wednesday sangria. Tatjana and Jason Brown carry a unique collection of affordable wines from far away places and our own backyard. If you are looking for some wine pairing ideas for your market fare, stop by Meza and talk to Tatjana.

 Hanging flower basket at Bildsten Landscape.

Salsa!! from Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand

Swainway Urban Farm Market Fare

Kohlrabi Seedlings at Bird's Haven Farms

A few weeks ago, this was tree sap! Good stuff from Pleiades Maple.

 

Asparagus from Doran's Family Farm

 Certified Organic Tomato Seedlings from Swainway Urban Farm

Ramps (Wild Leeks) foraged from Bird's Haven Farms

See you at the market!

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Field of Heroes

This coming weekend is the Memorial Day weekend. 

The Rotary Club of Westerville, Sunrise presents Field of Heroes, open May 23rd at 1 p.m. through May 26th at 12:30 p.m. 

Field of Heroes is a gridded installation of 3,000 American flags at the SW corner of N. Cleveland and County Line Rd., W. 

This year, Field of Heroes is also honoring Public Safety Heroes. Visit the link for details.


Photo courtesy of Field of Heroes.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Fourth Friday

It's hard to believe, but this Friday, May 23rd is May 2014's Fourth Friday!

This month's market goes Back to Nature - a perennial favorite!

6 p.m to 9 p.m. in Uptown Westerville.

For Details, visit the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau Back to Nature page.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Harmonious Homestead

Central Ohio blogger Rachel Tayse Baillieul visited Market Wednesday and presented a market tour on her blog, Harmonious Homestead.

Rachel's blog is a very good read - we highly recommend regular visits!

Visit Harmonious Homestead.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Weekly Market Wisdom

Don't judge each day by the harvest

you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

- Robert Louis Stevenson 

Tomato seedlings from Bird's Haven Farm.

We are adding a new feature this season - some Farmers' Market Weekly Wisdom in the form of a meme.

Designed purely for sharing and entertainment purposes, our meme includes a photograph taken at Market Wednesday and some sage observations about food, farming, nature, and farmers' markets. 

We'll add each week's market wisdom on facebook, Pinterest, and our blog. 

Tomato seedlings from Bird's Haven Farms.

Olive oil? Asparagus? If your mother wasn't so fancy,

we could just shop at the gas station like normal people. 

- Homer Simpson in The Simpson's: Simpson Safari

Asparagus from Doran's Family Farm.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: May 14th Market Report

Best Wishes for the Week.

Life Happens. Nature Happens. Farming Happens. 

It's a day for rain boots, umbrellas, and puddles.

As you are aware, we are "Market Lite" with special (shortened) market hours to accommodate the weather forecast. Right now, our biggest question mark is the forecast between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (May 14th only). Same place: N. State @ E. Home in Uptown Westerville.

So, while it may not be a good afternoon to linger, it's a great afternoon to stop, shop, and dash!

Today's confirmed line-up: Sugar B Bakery, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Blue Jacket Dairy, Dan the Baker, Swainway Urban Farm, Fox Hollow Farm, Bird's Haven Farms, Flying J Farm, Hartzler Family Dairy, Doran's Family Farm, Ohio Farm Direct.

Pleiades Maple Products and Bridgman Farm will not be at market this week.

We expect to see, but are awaiting confirmation from Dana Lee's.

See you at the market... even if it's a quick stop between raindrops!

 
Pictured: Sunlit lettuce pot from Bildsten Landscape

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Special Market Hours

Yes, this is a rain or shine market, but when we say rain, we mean rainfall, drizzle, or showers  - the kind you read about in poetry and see in romantic movies - and not torrential downpours, thunder, lightning, microbursts, and high winds. We really do have sense enough to come in out of that kind of rain! 

So, after monitoring May 14th's weather for days, we are seeing no change in the forecast and, thunderstorms are expected to enter this area around 5 p.m… and they’re not leaving for a while.
 
So, May 14th only we are going to open at 3 p.m., as usual, this Market Wednesday (5.14) and close at 5 p.m. (we’ll probably start getting ready to close around 4:30 – and it all depends on the weather – we hope the weather changes for the better as we move closer to market).

We’ll keep you posted via social media.

Update 5.14.14. 8:55 a.m.: The weather forecast is improved, sort of, but there is a still a good chance we will see a storm this afternoon - as of this moment, there is a 51% chance of a storm between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and then forecast cloudiness from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a 47% chance of rain. (We utilize Accuweather.com and WBNS-TV weather for the market.) We are planning on sticking with 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. business hours today and we'll roll along and adjust as we go - as long as we can safely do business, we will do our best. Farmers' markets are indeed an adventure! Thank you for rolling along with us!

(We'll update social media as needed.)
 
Usually our vendors with orders for pick-up stay until 6 p.m. - even when we’ve had to suspend the market – if you don’t hear from the vendor, we encourage you to double-check.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Opening Day 2014!

We've got a beautiful afternoon ahead of us - sounds like a perfect to kick-off the 2014 season of the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market! Our 9th Season at N. State & E. Home.

This afternoon's weather forecast is for sunny skies, temperatures in the low 80s and a breeze.

Home grown. Home made. All Ohio.  The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is open for business each Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October 29th.

This week's confirmed vendor line-up:

Fox Hollow Farm, Bird's Haven Farms, Flying J Farm, Hartzler Family Dairy, Doran's Family Farm, Bridgman Farm, Ohio Farm Direct, Dan the Baker, Sugar B Bakery, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Blue Jacket Dairy, Pleiades Maple Products, Swainway Urban Farm, Bildsten Landscape.

We expect Dana Lee's - just haven't gotten an absolute confirm yet today.

Our Community Partner this week is Westerville Senior Center.

Produce-wise, look for lettuces, greens, microgreens, mushrooms, and possibly asparagus (it may yet be too early). You'll also find a selection of hanging baskets and flower, vegetable, and herb seedlings and plants.

Artisan vendors feature breads, sweet and savory baked goods, maple syrup, jams, biscotti, salsa, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, cheeses, dairy (including milk), meats, and fresh eggs.

Meza @ 48 N. State features a specially-priced Market Wednesday cocktail - stop in, visit Meza's Tatjana Brown and talk wine! Today's feature: Strawberry-Basil-Mint Sangria.

For more info on Market Wednesday, just visit our website: www.marketwednesday.com

Have a great day and... see you at the market!

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: No Good Honey Before Its Time

Roger's Honey will be likely coming to market sometime in June. 

Bees are good. Bees are ready. Heck, Roger is ready!

But, life happens, nature happens, farming happens - the bees need more blooms to forage and we've just come off an arctic winter and are in the middle of a late blooming spring. 

So, as bee activity increases, we'll see Roger's Honey at the market.