From “Tipp Talk,” my column in the Tippecanoe Gazette…
The fifth season of the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market kicked off this past Saturday with sunny skies and a street full of vendors and customers enjoying this summer institution. I have to say that I’m a little partial to the Farmers’ Market, because I was one of the founders! My friend Reed Spencer and I were brainstorming back in 2006 about ways to bring more shoppers and visitors downtown, and the subject of a farmers’ market kept coming up.
I used to live in Burke, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., and I enjoyed the farmers’ market there. It was nothing like the Tipp market—they had 40 or 50 vendors, spread across a huge parking lot—it was nice to get fresh-from-the-farm foods, crafts, and flowers. There was even a beekeeper who sold freshly harvested honey with pieces of comb in big mason jars.
The farmers’ market in Burke was a reminder that there was a life outside the beltway, without all the hustle and bustle and traffic and stress. And when Samantha talked me into moving back to Ohio, I realized that the small-town feel here was one of the things I missed most about living in the Midwest.
With the support of the Downtown Tipp City Partnership and many co-conspirators, Reed and I kicked off the first Tippecanoe Famers’ Market in 2006.
Planning Underway for Months
And, here we are, five years later. Throughout the spring, the Farmers’ Market Committee has been meeting regularly, recruiting sponsors, vendors and volunteers, preparing for this year’s Market. Frank Scenna and Rebecca Woodward are leading the charge this year, and our committee recruited a great group of sponsors: PeCo, Re/Max, Tipp of the Town, Posh Apparel, DJ’s Pizza, Kanoe Café, One Call Now, and the Tippecanoe Gazette.
We put together a schedule for the Hip-in-Tipp Booth, which highlights one local nonprofit each week, and our KIDZ Booth, a free space where young people can sell their own handmade or homegrown products.
We also welcomed several awesome new volunteers, but we’re still looking for a few more helpers. Interested in joining us? Email volunteer coordinator Sonya Lyons at slyons97@yahoo.com to get on our schedule. And if you have one of our green yard signs, please put it out!
Welcome Back Vendors!
Many favorite vendors from Markets past have returned for the 2011 Tipp Farmers’ Market season. Here are a few:
- Muddy Truck Patch—Muddy Truck Patch owner Richard Macy is from a long line of farmers. His great-grandfather started an 80-acre produce farm and farmers’ market long ago. He passed that farm down to his son, and he, along with Richard’s father and other relatives, worked it until the land was acquired by the airport. “My father then started his own small truck patch and went into the wholesale business,” said Macy. “When my father retired and I took over, I decided to expand and try my hand at farmers’ markets, while still doing the wholesale supply. Now I do 10 to 12 acres of produce and specialty crops, and usually bring everything from A to Z to the market.”
- Scarff’s—Scarff’s Nursery is a family-owned wholesale nursery located in New Carlisle, known locally and nationally for their gorgeous, healthy plants. Presently growing on approximately 600 acres, they truck everything from evergreen shrubs to shade trees, ornamental trees, and perennials to the market every week. If you stop by, take a minute to thank them for sponsoring the landscaping work at our Veteran’s Memorial over on Hyatt. Their contribution there often goes unrecognized.
- Snyder’s Spring Run Farm—Providing a large selection of perennials, annuals, baskets, flowers and cut flowers, Spring Run Farm and CSA is a welcome respite for its members and friends. Located just eight miles from the center of Dayton, Ohio and with 58 acres of rolling fields, woods and streams, the farm offers opportunities for building community, celebrations and plenty of fresh air.
- Nashville Farms—Owned and Operated by Jeff and Kim Wheeler, this Troy-based farm boasts fresh-grown vegetables, from peppers and tomatoes to unique varieties of corn. Sam particularly enjoys their Harvest decorations, including corn shocks, heirloom pumpkins, and hay bales.
- Other returning favorites include BF Berry Farm, Coonskin Sugarbush Ohio Syrup, Ear-Resistables by Anita, Hidden Pond Farms, and Nosnitka’s Fruit Farm.
And a Few New Faces…
And we’ve signed up a whole host of new vendors this year. Some of the newest include:
- Brain Rock – Finally, breakfast at the Market! Matt Wrhel brings a whole booth filled with wholesome fruit salads and fresh-made oatmeal with your choice of toppings, along with fresh-brewed coffee. Yeah!
- All My Heart Photography is run by Sarah Trick. She offers original photos, matted and ready for framing.
- Harmony Farms brings a variety of western and Asian lettuces to the market, some for salads and some for cooking.
- Consider the Lilies and Creative Designs by Liv offer wreaths, garden décor, stationary and birdhouses.
- Cookie Crazed Mama offers fresh, homemade cookies, scones, muffins, cupcakes, mini pies and bars, and Sisters’ Cookies and Cakes will offer cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and scones.
- Galbi Girls offers handmade girls’ accessories and doll clothes, including jewelry, purses, hair bows, and barrettes designed to fit the “American Girl” dolls. Check out the “cheetah” fur coats!
- Jewelry by Forest sells handmade jewelry created using semi-precious stones twisted with delicate threads of silver.
- And KB Pottery. Katherine’s been hard at work all winter, throwing a wide selection of clay pots, bowls, coffee mugs, and birdhouses, all beautifully glazed.
More to Come
With the weather outside getting drier and summer quickly approaching, the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market will only get better as more of our vendors harvest their crops and bring them to the Market. We’re sure to add a few more vendors, here and there, so keep checking back.
