Mother Road Farmer's Market
Some of the first things which come to mind, when thinking of summer, for me anyway….fresh cut grass, the buzzing of bees, children laughing, the warmth of early morning sun. May tends to bring many of these thoughts, even in the high desert. Trees are blooming, days are longer, people are lingering rather than hurriedly rushing inside.
Farmer’s Markets are another superb indicator of celebrating this upcoming equinox. The Mother Road Farmer’s Market takes place from 9 to Noon on Saturdays at the gazebo, located just a block South of our infamous Standin’ on the Corner Park. Beginning last week and extending through to the end of September, you will find, fresh grown greens, flowering plants, tasty nut brittles, jams & jellies, locally produced honey, handmade jewelry, custom creations, and more. A delightful way to begin your weekend, perfect for the whole family.
Just this week, we completed a USDA grant, which, if awarded, will fund the hiring of a Farmer’s Market Coordinator for the next 3 years. Monies from this grant will also help expand the market to a larger space, provide funding to create permanent stalls and promote our market to a larger population. Dollars from this grant will also help support educational tools to increase our ability to produce more food locally, so that we have even more farmers represented. Agriculture is a large part of our regional culture and history, let’s get back to our roots (pun intended!) to produce a larger quantity of locally grown vegetables, grains, fruit, flowers and more.
There are several exciting changes happening in and around Winslow, this is certainly one of them. Who knows, perhaps next year, we could have two markets during the week and could support numerous entrepreneurs in their quest to grow their dreams. The Sweetland Community Garden in Winslow is also a great first step, and open to anyone interested in learning more about the food and flowers we can grow locally. Be sure to stay tuned to @WhyNotWinslow for posts on upcoming seminars.