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Haymaker Farmers’ Market

• 2009 Opening day!

  31May
  Categories: Market Opens, Uncategorized, market bench, market growth Comments Off
  

  Opening day at Haymaker Farmers' Market, 30 May 2009.

  What a great start for what promises to be a spectacular year at Haymaker!  Richard DiRienzo of Bella Terra Farms counted an opening day record of 28 vendors today, and many of our regular produce growers are still busy coaxing their vegetable goodies up from the warm spring soils of north east Ohio.  The street front parking along Franklin Avenue was filled during most of the day while quite a few cyclists and walkers took advantage of the warm temperatures and sunny May skies to shop at the market.

  Many of our market regulars returned again this year joined by about 10 new vendors.  I saw quite a few new products as well.  I don’t ever recall seeing rhubarb or asparagus sold at Haymaker before and fresh ice cream from contented grass fed cows was offered by our own Mark Grogan who also sells a wide variety of northern Ohio cheeses.  I couldn’t pass up some of the fresh feta cheese from the Ornery Goat Farm, it was whey out!

  

  Guitarist Eric Oswald performs at Haymaker Farmers' Market, 30 May 2009.

  I’m going to have to moooove away from the dairy vendors and on to our featured musician.  Guitarist, writer and singer, Eric Oswald,  opened our 2009  Music @ the Market series with  original music as well as a few flashbacks from the 60’s and 70’s, (yes, I was there too, at least I think I remember being there…),  all played without a sheet of music or a bad chord.  Great job Rick!  Next week, percussionist and Kent State Professor Emeritus of African Ethnomusicology  Halim el-Dabh, will be keeping up the beat with original African cultural music.  Bring along your drums to join in the celebration!

  The lots were in tip top shape thanks to the hard work of our many volunteers two weekends ago as well as the generous donation of gravel from Bob Mayfield of  McKay Bricker Gallery and Framing in downtown Kent.  Bob was also on hand early this morning to help Elaine and Jerry May, Karl Liske and myself to mark off the vendor spots for the upcoming season. Thank you for all the help, the market has truly become a community effort.

  Be sure to check out the next posting on our newest amenity, the Porta-Potty, which is now ready for use and smelling “minty fresh” under and behind the Haymaker bridge!

  Cheers to everyone for a great 17th season at Haymaker!

  Fritz Seefeldt.

• Who gave out the key?

  30May
  Categories: Market Opens, Uncategorized, market bench, market business, market growth Comments Off
  

  Who is that guy? And who gave him a key to our new porta-potty? Is that a customer.....wait....no....... it's Carter Bailey of KC Coffee and Teas, checking out the facilities. Coffee's a diuretic you know. Love those sunglasses Carter, tres chic!

  It’s a new year at Haymaker and things are looking up. We now have a place right in our back yard to take care of important business.  We all voted in favor of adding a new amenity for our 2009 market and it arrived this morning bright and early while some of you were still sleeping, picking veggies, loading the truck or maybe even baking stuff for the first market.

  I called around and found the best deal at Portage Portable Toilets Inc. Check out their website for all your portable toilet needs! < http://www.portageportabletoilets.com/ > The owner, Bill Davis,  was very accommodating, put it exactly where I asked (well hidden behind the bridge),  and most important, the price was right!  They’ll clean it once a week.  If someone comes hopping up to your stand with an anguished look on their face and asks where the closest toilet is,  please let them know about our hidden treasure.

  According to one vendor, “I needed to go bad, but I had to think, geez…do I really have to go THAT bad? Then I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, it smelled ‘minty fresh’!!”  If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Here’s to a great new season at Haymaker!

  Fritz.

• Gravel spreading-cleanup day at Haymaker!

  18May
  Categories: Market Opens, Uncategorized, market bench, market business, market growth Comments Off

  

  Pictured from the left: Karl Liske, Richard DiRienzo, Karen Dodds, Nancy DiRienzo, Bob Mayfield, Kelly Ferry, Jerry and Elaine May, Joe Loucek, Jo Anne Jones, John Shinosky, Cary James, Aiden (Elmer) Anna and Adam Graham, Beth Buchanan, Wendelin Taylor, Kristen Pool and Fritz Seefeldt snapped the picture. Rafael Rodriguez, Baron Hottensmith, Jessica Earley, Bonny and Andy Esparza and Bernie Chaykowski weren't able to stay for the picture but were also on hand to lend a hand.

  It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in a short amount of time when a group of people set out to complete a task.  Our group of about twenty people spread all the gravel, trimmed the trees and bushes along the fence in the back of the market, cut the grass in the newly cleared strip and even marked the vendor set back from the curb (thanks Baron)!  All the bottles, cans, trash and brush were put in the trash can and stacked along the street front and then we all had pizza and good conversation about the season ahead. The day was perfect, not too hot, not too cold with plenty of sunshine to warm those winter weary bones! Today, Beth Buchanan phoned her friend at the city and asked if they could clear the brush we had stacked at the curb. First, he thanked her for calling, dispatched a crew to remove the brush and asked that we call them in advance in the future. He was very gracious!  Great job City of Kent.   Thank you Beth for following through and helping us all to get the job done. It was a day well spent, with much accomplished. The benches should be in place by the first market on May 30th.   Thanks to everyone for pitching in.

  Fritz.

• Farmers’ Market Opens 2009 Season Saturday 30 May!

  06May
  Categories: Market Opens, market business, market growth Comments Off

  

  Elaine May of Heron Hill Farms at Haymaker Farmers’ Market

  The market will be kicking off our 2009 season this year a couple weeks ahead of schedule with offerings from many of Kent’s own local bakers and farmers.  Saturday,  May 30th will be our first day of the season with hours as usual from 9 am until 1 pm. This year will mark the earliest we have decided to join in the summer season of events in downtown Kent.  The market has grown and we’ve decided to accommodate the burgeoning demand with a slightly longer season.  Additionally, the market is now officially a non-profit incorporated farmers’ market in the State of Ohio!

  Haymaker will be continuing the “Music @ the Market” series spotlighting local homegrown music right along side our locally grown veggies and baked goods.  For a current roster of performances and dates with links to some of the performers’ music click over to “Music @ the Market” for the current line up. Any local musicians who would like to be considered to join this schedule, please drop me a line at kentmarket@neo.rr.com.

  “Downtown @ the Market”, is a new project we have taken on this year to place greater emphasis on the integral connection the market has with the  fine businesses located right here in downtown Kent.  We will be adding co-op advertising in the Record-Courier and  sandwich board signs at the market site announcing to our valued customers the many shops and services deserving of their patronage within walking distance of the farmers’ market.

  Another way that Haymaker will be joining hands with the community will be through our market bench project. The first two benches have been completed and fully sponsored with possibly another six to follow as the season progresses. The bench tops are made of recycled materials, and were an entirely community collaborative project with final assembling done by the Remodeling and Construction program at our own Kent Roosevelt High School. For more information about the project and how to help us out with more benches for along Franklin Avenue, click over to “Market bench project”.

  The summer of 2009 is shaping up to be a banner year for Haymaker Farmers’ Market and we at the market are looking forward to meeting and visiting with the community.

  All the best to everyone,

  Fritz Seefeldt

  Haymaker Farmers’ Market.

  Tags: Opening Day