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.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: A Week Away!

Home grown. Home made. All Ohio. 

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market 2014 Season opens in one week on May 7th at 3 p.m (until 6 p.m.) at N. State and E. Home in Uptown Westerville.

See you at the market!

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: marketwednesday.com v.2014

 

The updated version of www.marketwednesday.com is now up and running.

Thank you for your patience.

When you get a chance, stop by - kick the tires, look under the hood, take it for a spin.

Update 4.30.14: We have a few edits and some broken links. Workin' on it!  

Update 4.30.14: Links repaired, edits complete! 

A learning curve is always best when 

it's only viewed in the rear view mirror!

Thanks for your patience.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Excuse Our Dust

Upgrade in Progress...

Just a quick FYI - While it'd be more exciting to blame it on solar flares - our website, marketwednesday.com, is in the process of an upgrade and the new version of the site is in-process.

So, you may find a blank page when you're looking for our website.

All vitals are here on the blog or on facebook right now.

Thanks for your patience.


Solar flare photo image courtesy of NASA.gov

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: 2014 Season Announcement Press Release

 

April 25, 2014  

For Immediate Release.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market 2014 Season Begins May 7th 

"When you know the people who grow your food, it simply tastes better." Chef Duskie Estes 

Visit. Browse. Taste. Shop. Enjoy. Central Ohio’s farmers’ market season is here, and the 2014 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market is open for business each Wednesday, May 7th through October 29th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the corner of N. State and E. Home Streets in Uptown Westerville.

Each season, a farmers’ market becomes a community within a community - a familiar gathering place that inspires great stories to bring to the table. A farmers’ market is a place where customers shake the hand of the person who raised and made their food. A farmers’ market is a place where vendors travel to market with fresh, seasonal produce, nourished by Ohio rains and grown under the Ohio sun, in rich, fertile Ohio soil. A farmers’ market is a place to buy artisan foods made with skill, passion, and care.

Home-made. Home-grown. All Ohio. Market Wednesday provides a selection of seasonal fare that includes farm-fresh certified organic, chemical-free, and conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables, and an assortment of artisan baked goods, breads, cheeses, jams, salsas, sauces and rubs, honey, milk, roll butter, maple syrup, meats, poultry, and fresh eggs.

Market fare also includes a seasonal selection of flowering, herb, and vegetable plants, hanging baskets, and colorful fresh-cut flowers.

Early market fresh produce selections include asparagus, rhubarb, assorted greens, lettuces, radishes, and swiss chard.

Market fare also includes a seasonal selection of flowering, herb, and vegetable plants, hanging baskets, and colorful fresh-cut flowers.

This winter’s severe temperatures may be in the history books, but the market orchard vendors will feel the effects this summer. Orchard vendors will be bringing apples to market this summer, but will not have peaches.

The 2014 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market will feature these Central Ohio vendors throughout the season: Annabelle’s Blooms, Bildsten Landscape, Bird’s Haven Farms, Blue Jacket Dairy, Branstool Orchards, Bridgman Farm, Chuck Evans’ Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Dana Lee’s, Dan the Baker, Doran’s Family Farm, Flying J Farm, Fox Hollow Farm, Hartzler Family Dairy, Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard, Ohio Farm Direct, Pleiades Maple Products, Roger’s Honey, Sue’s Kitchen, Sugar B Bakery, Swainway Urban Farm, Sweet Thing Gourmet, and Z Blueberry.

Market Wednesday also welcomes its community partners: Westerville Senior Center, Westerville Police Division, Westerville Electric Division, and Westerville Public Library, appearing one week each month throughout the season. 

A trip to the market is a great way to enjoy Wednesdays in Uptown Westerville - market customers can dine and shop Uptown Westerville and stop by the market to pick up a little farm fresh to take home. 

The 2014 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market Vendor Line-Up:

Annabelle’s Blooms, South Charleston, Ohio: Beautiful cut flowers and bouquets including sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and snapdragons. Anna Brown grows her flowers on her grandparents’ farm in Clark County. 

Bildsten Landscape, Columbus, Ohio: Like the hanging baskets you see in Uptown Westerville throughout the summer months? They come from Bildsten Landscape. Westerville residents, Mark and Karen Bildsten will be at the market during May and June with hanging flower baskets, annuals, and potted herbs and lettuces. 

Bird’s Haven Farms, Granville, Ohio: The Bird Family will be bringing their seasonal market produce that includes everything from lettuce to garlic to sweet corn along with flowers and fall favorites like pumpkins and Indian corn. 

Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine, Ohio: Jim and Angel King’s hand-made, farmstead cheeses include fresh mozzarella, cheddar curds, quark, chevre, and market favorite, Gretna Grillin’ cheese. 

Branstool Orchards, Utica, Ohio: Marshall Branstool will be bringing orchard-fresh apples beginning late summer. (Please note: Due to the severe winter temperatures, there will be no peaches this season.) 

Bridgman Farm, Washington Court House, Ohio: Mary Bridgman brings her produce to market that includes a beautiful assortment of cherry and heirloom tomatoes and herb and vegetable plants. 

Dana Lee’s, Pataskala, Ohio: Dana Landrum features a selection of fresh-baked savory and sweet crackers, breads, rolls, dessert breads, scones, and muffins. 

Dan the Baker, Columbus, Ohio: Dan Reisenberger bakes a selection of European-style, sourdough bread and pastries made from organic grains and available local ingredients. 

Doran’s Family Farm, New Albany, Ohio: Michelle and Jim Doran’s produce is a popular market stop throughout the season featuring a broad selection of vegetables, melons, tomatoes, and seasonal favorite, sweet corn. 

Flying J Farm, Johnstown, Ohio: Dick Jensen features a selection of grass-fed beef cuts, vegetables, freshly-milled wheat and spelt flour, and maple syrup. 

Fox Hollow Farm, Fredericktown, Ohio: Lisa and Bruce Rickard will bring selections of grass-fed, naturally raised beef, pork, lamb, and chicken and fresh eggs. 

Hartzler Family Dairy, Wooster, Ohio: Jace and Rachel Hartzler feature a selection of non-homogenized, pasteurized milk, roll butter, and packaged ice cream.  Hartzler Family Dairy’s Holstein and Guernsey cows are pasture-fed, and Hartzler’s farming methods are based on their grandfather's philosophies that farming be as nature intended, including no herbicides, no pesticides, or hormones. 

Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard, Jeromesville, Ohio: Westerville resident, Mike Dippold will be bringing fresh-picked apples to market. We should see Mike with his first truckload of apples sometime late summer. (Please note: Due to the severe winter temperatures, there will be no peaches this season.) 

Chuck Evans’ Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Columbus, Ohio: Chuck and Mary Evans bring a delicious mix of mild to smoking hot fresh salsas, hot sauces, barbecue sauces, marinades, rubs, and tortilla chips to market. Chuck’s Smokey Chipotle®-Raspberry-Lime Salsa won best fruit-based salsa at the Houston Hot Sauce Festival in 2012! 

Ohio Farm Direct, Fredericktown, Ohio: Doug Daniels brings cheese and drinkable yogurt made from milk from his organic, grass-fed herd and also features nitrate-free trail bologna, beef sticks, and summer sausage. 

Pleiades Maple Products, Mt. Gilead, Ohio: Eddie Lou Meimer will be bringing her award winning maple products to market throughout the season that include maple syrup, maple sugar, barbecue sauce, maple-coated puffed spelt, vinaigrette dressing, and kid-favorite maple leaf suckers. 

Roger’s Honey, Baltimore, Ohio: Roger and Marlene Miller come to market with wildflower honey, bee pollen, and a selection of honey-based products including creamed honey and honey stix. 

Sue’s Kitchen, Pataskala, Ohio: Sue Renner bakes pies! This season, Sue’s Kitchen will be a limited engagement vendor. 

Sugar B Bakery, Galena, Ohio: Angela Bowman makes daily bread a special event. Sugar B features loaf breads, bagels, scones, cookies, and flatbreads. 

Swainway Urban Farm, Clintonville, Ohio: Joseph Swain raises certified organic microgreens, lettuces, mushrooms, and a selection of specialty vegetables. 

Sweet Thing Gourmet, Bexley, Ohio: Mark and Kyla Touris feature a selection of delicious home-made jams and biscottis. 

Z Blueberry, Fredericktown, Ohio: A short, but very sweet season, Taffy and Charlie Douglas will come to market in June and July with fresh-picked blueberries.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a fluid community: market vendor weekly appearances may vary; produce and product availability vary throughout the season.

Market Wednesday suggests bringing a cooler - market meats are sold frozen, and eggs and dairy products are sold refrigerated, and a cooler will help produce travel well on hot summer days.

Bird’s Haven Farms and Doran’s Family Farm accept WIC (USDA) Farmers’ Market Program Coupons. Bird’s Haven Farms, Doran’s Family Farm, and Bridgman Farm accept LifeCare Alliance Senior Farmers’ Market Program (USDA) Coupons. Delaware County Senior Farmers’ Market progam coupons are only valid at Delaware County farmers’ markets in Powell, Sunbury, and Delaware.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a rain or shine market, but will suspend activity in case of severe weather conditions. In-lot and on-street free parking is available near the market and throughout Uptown Westerville. There is bike-friendly parking in Rotary Park at the southeast corner of N. State and E. Home Streets, right across from the market space.

The market has no official mailing address, but for GPS needs, travelers can reference 62 N. State Street, Westerville, Ohio, 43081.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is Ohio Proud.

For more information on the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market:

email: info@marketwednesday.com 

Market website: http://www.marketwednesday.com/ 

Market blog: http://uptownwestervillefarmersmarket.blogspot.com/ 

On facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MarketWednesday 

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Now in its ninth season, the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market offers a selection of home-grown, home-made, all Ohio farm-fresh produce and artisan foods. Market Wednesdays run May through October from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the corner of N. State and E. Home Streets in the Church of the Messiah, UM parking lot, in Uptown Westerville. Market produce is certified-organic, chemical-free, and conventionally grown. A great place to live, shop, work, eat, meet and play, the Uptown Westerville neighborhood is the home of city government, and features an eclectic mix of residences dating back to the 1800s, tree-lined brick streets, Otterbein University, Westerville Public Library, activities, traditions, culture, business, and commerce. The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a fluid community. Market vendor weekly appearances may vary. Produce and product availability may vary throughout the season. Market Wednesday takes place rain or shine. The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is an entirely volunteer effort.

For additional information about the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market, info@marketwednesday.com.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Uptown Friday Nights!

Hokey Smokes! It's the first Fourth Friday of 2014!

The Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau presents, Fourth Fridays in Uptown Westerville. With live entertainment, activities, street vendors, food carts, and extended hours at Uptown shops, Fourth Friday is a lively, family-friendly summer tradition in Uptown Westerville.

Here's this year's Fourth Friday details:

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

Friday, April 25, 2014: Uptown Alive
Friday May 23, 2014: Back to Nature
Friday, June 27, 2014: Safety Fest
Friday, July 25, 2014: World Bazaar
Friday, August 22, 2014: the tail wagging Dog Days of Summer
Friday, September 26, 2014: School Daze

And... The Westerville Uptown Merchants Association is featuring Uptown Friday Nights with extended shop hours (to 8 p.m.) throughout the summer. For more information, visit the Shop Uptown Westerville website!

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Tapped

In contemplating the present opening prospects in human affairs, I am led to expect that a material part of the general happiness which heaven seems to have prepared for mankind, will be derived from the manufacture and general use of Maple Sugar. Letter to Thomas Jefferson by Benjamin Rush (George Washington's physician), August 19, 1791

Life on the Farm from Pleiades Maple: 
 
From Eddie Lou Meimer... 

- The 2014 maple season is coming to a close. This warm spell will probably be the last run we collect. The trees are about to bib. Once that happens the chemical makeup of the sap changes and the syrup becomes bitter. We will probably make close to 2000 gallons this year.

- The crew is boiling sap tonight. Big run today. They have over 10,000 gallons of sap to boil in. So far in looks and tastes like Grade B and that's a good thing. 

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: The Frozen Peach Tree Blues

We've been waiting to hear and wanted you to know as soon as we knew: 

Life on the Farm: From Branstool Orchards... 

Time to deliver the sad news: We are not going to have a peach crop this summer. Unfortunately the subzero temperatures at the very beginning of the year were too harsh to handle. Marshall recently contacted an orchard in Adams County in Pennsylvania, and we do plan on them shipping us some peaches. Because they will not be our peaches, we won't be at the farmers markets until our apples are coming on strong. The good news is that our apple crop is looking plentiful and we anticipate having a good apple season.

Utica is a nice drive and not that far, so we'll keep you posted when the Adams County, PA peaches are available at the Branstool Orchards store.

We are looking forward to the Branstool Family's amazing selection of apple varieties later this summer.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Protecting Our Own

 

Westerville Fire and Police Divisions have released the following information:

Westerville Residents:
 
For immediate release: March 22, 2014

(Westerville, Ohio) – The Westerville Divisions of Police and Fire are investigating suspected acts of arson that have occurred in residential areas this week.

The fires under investigation are believed to have been intentionally set to the exterior rear of each home. The four fires were set while the residents were in the home.

Residents are asked to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity around their home or their neighbors’ homes to the Westerville Division of Police at (614) 882-7444.

Anyone with any information related to these fires is also asked to call police. Reports may also be made via the Police Tipline at (614) 901-6866 to remain anonymous.

Media inquiries may be directed to the Westerville Division of Police at (614) 901-6450.

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Below are some arson prevention tips.

By following the tips provided you can help to protect your property from becoming a target for an arsonist. Many arson fires occur out of doors and with materials that are easily accessible. Survey the areas around your home, garage, carport and out buildings being sure to pay close attention to the items listed below:

• Store all flammable liquids such as paints and gasoline in an approved storage location: Locking cabinets and storage units can also prevent access to kids. Keep all flammables and combustibles away from heat sources such as furnaces and any type of heaters.

• Report suspicious activity near houses or other buildings to the local police and support Neighborhood Watch programs.

• Keep leaves, firewood, overgrown brush and shrubbery and other combustibles away from buildings.

• Keep outside lights turned on at night. Consider installing light fixtures with build-in motion sensors

For more information, click....

Click here for the Fire Division facebook page.

City of Westerville website.