Haymaker Farmers' Market

• Hammered dulcimer music at market this Saturday!

  05Aug
  Categories: market growth, music @ the market, Uncategorized Comments: 0
  

  Lisa and Heather Malyuk to play at Music @ the Market this Saturday, 8/8/2009

  Lisa & Heather Malyuk are reaching a new generation of listeners with their interpretation of old-time, Celtic, and world folk music. Lisa plays hammered dulcimer and banjo-uke and Heather plays fiddle and guitar. The pair will perform from 10 am to 12 noon as part of the Kent, Music @ the Market series. All live performances are free and open to the public every Saturday throughout the summer and fall.
  Haymaker Farmers’ Market is located on Franklin Ave. at Summit Street in downtown Kent. Hours: 9am-1pm.

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• Great day in the morning!

  02Aug
  Categories: market bench, market business, market growth, Uncategorized Comments: 0

  This was a phrase my grandmother would repeat on a sunny morning as the mist from the night’s dew rose from the fields in the warmth of the morning sun.   She was always happy to see the sun rise over the fields to the east of their farm house in central Michigan, it meant another day spent doing the things she loved; gardening, cooking for her family and visiting with her neighbors on her egg route.  She’s been gone for quite a few years now, but I still like to repeat her phrase when I see the sun shining in the morning, especially on a market day like we had yesterday!  We have never had a bigger or better attended market in our history in Kent.  Special thanks goes out to the talented members of Kent’s Celtic Clan who performed for us under the Haymaker Bridge.  Great job one and all!

  

  People were walking from cars parked all over the downtown area for the opportunity to shop at Haymaker. My 88 year old father found a parking spot north of the Pufferbelly and walked the 3 blocks to see us.  He said that he was glad he had brought his cane along, because the walk was a lot more than he had planned.  I spoke with customers who had parked on Water Street and walked the distance.  As vendors, I think its important to try to park our vehicles at the rear of the market lots so that our customers have better access to street front parking.  If there isn’t enough room in the north lot, there are usually extra places along the fence at the rear of the south lot.  The market lot actually narrows from the south going north.   As the season progresses it seems we have reached our peak capacity in terms of vendors. I never thought I would see the day when it was necessary for me to turn away people from selling, but this has been my unfortunate duty for the last several weeks. My phone and the market email box have been busy places with lots of people wanting to join our market family.

  Yesterday brought a few glitches during set up in the morning. I apologize for any bruised feelings.  Its my intent to preserve the integrity of the market by mixing types of vendors as well as allowing people to set up where their customers have come to expect them.  This isn’t always possible, especially when there are late arrivals, and folks setting up for the first time in the season.  I am doing my best to make things happen smoothly and with as little stress as possible. It was necessary for me to set up some vendors along the grass strip between the street and the market lot.  I’m afraid that this is something we may be doing more of in the future, but I would like to confine the double row idea to the wider parts of the market. Under the Haymaker bridge is one area that will easily accomodate this sort of arrangement.  I need your input on this as well as any concerns you may have. I still have not assigned spaces in the north lot, but will begin this process next Saturday.

  I’m still working on the market benches, but have stalled at two because of a lack of free time. If anyone would like to pitch in, we could probably have them finished in a short time. Feel free to give me a call at 330-678-5748, or just respond to this posting.

  I’m looking forward to hearing from you,

  all the best for the week ahead,

  Fritz.

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• Into each market season a little rain must fall…

  12Jul
  Categories: market business, market growth, music @ the market, Uncategorized Comments: 0

  …and we got it in buckets this past Saturday!  What began as a really promising and well attended market yesterday was interrupted with a one hour deluge the likes of which I haven’t seen in quite a long time.  At about 11:45, our musician for the day, Jon Mosey told me he was unable to keep his guitar dry because the rain was blowing horizontally under the bridge and needed to pack up and call it a day.

  

  A good crowd at Haymaker before the rains came, July 11, 2009.

  That said, the market was really a bustling place, with very few parking places available on Franklin and a record 38 vendors on hand selling all sorts of goodies.  With more of our seasonal farmers selling, the balance between bakers and  produce vendors is improving.  As this part of the season progresses, market attendance improves as well.

  I’m working on the next series of four market benches in my home wood shop. This past week I was able to pick up the leg brackets from Kevin at Quick Service Welding and the tops from The Plastic Lumber Company of Akron.  As soon as the stainless steel hardware is on hand this week, I’ll begin the assembly process here at my home.  If any one would like to lend a hand, give me a call at 330-678-5748.

  Next Saturday,  Don Hindenach will perform on guitar at 10 am-12 noon in the continuing Music @ the Market series.

  We currently have 102 votes in the Love Your Farm Market contest. If you haven’t voted yet, please cast your vote at

  Love Your Farmers’ Market .

  All the best to everyone for a less damp week ahead!

  Fritz

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• Love your farmers’ market contest!

  01Jul
  Categories: market business, market growth, music @ the market, Uncategorized Comments: 0

  

  Market Friends,
  Local Harvest is sponsoring a “Love Your Farmers’ Market”
  contest with a chance for the market to win a $5000 prize! Your vote
  can be anonymous if you choose, but it also gives you the opportunity to post
  online what you like about our homegrown market. It’s a great chance
  to help us all get the word out about Kent’s own farmers’ market and maybe
  provide a little much needed financial support with which we could
  improve the experience even more!
  All you need to do is click on this link:
  http://www.care2.com/farmersmarket/8282/?refer=1839.04.1246274974.810181
  to cast your vote for your favorite farmers’ market.  After voting, let your family and friends, children, pets, third cousins twice removed and banished by all the ‘decent’ members of the family, the guy that sleeps in the garage, even people you don’t like and haven’t seen since 8th grade,  know about the contest as well.  Just kidding about the pets! Everyone is eligible to vote, the more the merrier!

  I would like to thank everyone who comes down each Saturday to participate in the market while enjoying our local musicians during our “Music @ the Market” series.
  All the best to everyone for a great summer!
  Fritz Seefeldt.
  Haymaker Farmers’ Market
  http://haymakermarket.com

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• The Sun Shines on Haymaker!

  28Jun
  Categories: market business, market growth, Uncategorized Comments: 0

  After last week’s Saturday deluge, the sun returned  to warm our faces and bring out our valued customers. We had a record 35 vendors this Saturday, the 27th of June, and more vendors are due to join us as the season progresses with produce ripening in July and August.  Kevin Noon joined us as a new vendor who will double as a visual attraction as he sharpens knives, scissors, lawn mower blades and all manner of cutting and gardening tools using hand stones and a treadle driven grind stone mounted on the cast iron base of an old Singer sewing machine. Jerry and Elaine May of Heron Hill Farm have returned for the season selling many pounds of snap peas to an appreciative market. The peas of course are just the beginning of what promises to be a wide variety of seasonal produce coming from our north east Ohio growers.

  

  Shoppers at Kent’s Haymaker Farmers’ Market-  27 June 2009.

  There were quite a few times when there were no parking spaces to spare for our customers and they needed to walk from farther north on Franklin Avenue and College Streets to attend. We are truly blessed with a loyal and supportive customer base. Not only are we selling a lot of fine locally grown and baked products, but we’re helping to contribute to our local economy through increased traffic downtown!  The market is a positive economic factor in the life of our community.   People seem to be shying away from making big purchases at the chain retailers, but they seem to be patronizing our local shops and farmers’ markets more.  We may be part of a renaissance of thought in regards to how people shop and acquire their food.  This past week, PBS played a documentary on farmers’ markets across the United States.  An increasing proportion of Americans are seeing the value in shopping from local vendors especially in the agricultural food sector. <To Market, To Market…>

  

  Andrea Bussinger plays at Haymaker joined by Bob Wilson on harmonica and Adam Kuhn on slide guitar.

  Our music was provided by Andrea Bussinger on folk guitar along with Adam Kuhn playing slide guitar and Bob Wilson on harmonica who joined in spontaneously!  They performed almost non-stop from 10:00 to 12 noon interrupted only by applause, the sounds of our bustling farmers’ market and an occasional passing freight train. Next week, July fourth, we’ll be entertained by the return of the now famous, ten member Kent Shindig All-Star band led by Kentite David Badagnani. The group will perform from 10-12 noon under the Haymaker Bridge along Franklin Avenue.  Please be sure to make it a full day by joining us all downtown at Kent’s annual Heritage Festival sponsored byt the Kent Chamber of Commerce. There will be more music, great fair food and interesting booths to shop and explore right close by.  I’m sure a great time will be had by all!

  All the best to everyone for the week ahead!

  Fritz Seefeldt.

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• Summertime…and the livin’ is easy!

  23Jun
  Categories: market growth, music @ the market, Uncategorized Comments: 0

  As most of you noticed, we officially crossed the line into summer this past Sunday, and the weather couldn’t be nicer. With temperatures in the 70′s and just enough rain to keep things green and growing it would be tough to find anything to improve. The market continues to grow as well…each week adding a few new vendors and broadening the variety for our customers.  In the next two weeks, most of our regular produce growers will be in place in the market lineup, which typically increases our customer base as well.

  The past two weeks we had some truly great musical entertainment with Brian Henke playing on the 13th of June and Peggy Coyle along with Brad Bolton this last Saturday, June 20th. Coming up this week Andrea Bussinger will be returning to Haymaker for her third appearance since last summer at 10 am.

  

  Brian Henke entertains at Haymaker-June 13, 2009 (Little Elmer was on hand to guard the tips).

  As you may have noticed, the first two benches are in place along the front of the market. Karl Liske was kind enough to donate two pieces of plywood to put in front of each bench to cover the mud from when they were installed this last week…thank you Karl, your spontaneity saved the day and quite a few pairs of shoes as well! The Record-Courier was kind enough to send down a photographer to take a few pictures of the new benches and our market, look for an article in the paper over the next few days.

  

  Peggy Coyle and Brad Bolton brought their music to the market, June 21, 2009.

  From time to time you may see me wearing scrubs to the market. As some of you know, I work nights as a nurse at an area hospital, and sometimes its my turn to work the Friday night/Saturday morning before setting up the market on Saturday. Time is pretty tight between the two, so don’t be surprised if you see me looking strangely out of place every so often at the market, don’t worry, I promise I won’t be starting any iv’s on anyone, just don’t cross me, I may be tired…and grouchy!

  I’ve reworked the display ad for he newspaper this week. The ad runs every other Thursday in the Record-Courier along with event announcements in the Beacon Journal, Plain Dealer and Record-Courier. Joan Inderhees will be assisting with press releases for the papers, please thank her when you see her, its good to have her back with us again.

  All the best for a great week!

  Fritz.

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• Another fun week at the market!

  10Jun
  Categories: market business, market growth, Market Opens, music @ the market, Uncategorized Comments Off

  This past weekend we enjoyed the drumming and unique music of Halim El-Dabh along with several folks who turned out to drum and play along.  Kent is the kind of town where people often spontaneously join in and add to the diversity of sights and sounds.  This character sets us apart from most places where people stick to themselves and stay in their cars with the tinted windows rolled up and the AC turned on high.  The farmers’ market provides a place for people to be themselves and enjoy the friendship and camaraderie of their neighbors.

  

  Music @ the Market- Halim El-Dabh and friends play at Haymaker Farmers' Market, Saturday June 6, 2009.

  This week we’ll be entertained by the music of local performer, Brian Henke. I’m including the press release for this event here:

  <<Brian Henke composes and performs his music like a painter putting images on canvas, drawing his inspiration from the world around him.  His unique guitar style has been called everything from Folk to New Age to Neo-Classical to Pastoral. Brian is the founder and promoter of “The Woodchoppers Ball” annual benefit concert for The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless held at the Kent Stage in December.

  

  Composer/performer Brian Henke plays at Kent's farmers' market, June 13, 2009.

  “Music at the Market” performances are scheduled throughout the season and are free and open to the public. The next concert will be June 20 and will feature the duo of Peggy Coyle and Brad Bolton.

  This week the market will be offering produce from local farmers including: salad greens, radishes, strawberries, herbs, honey, maple syrup, cheese and flowers. Area bakers will be providing fresh baked breads and sweets.  As always, everything is locally grown or produced.>>

  This week’s featured farmer is Jessica Earley of Brimfield.  She and her family (Earley Farms) have been providing top notch produce grown without pesticides to our community for several years. In addition to selling at Haymaker, Jessica started the weekday Brimfield Farmers’ Market.  The Earley family has a new arrival too!  Be sure to congratulate them next Saturday.

  

  Jessica Earley and daughter at Haymaker Farmers' Market, June 6, 2009.

  On the injured list is our own Shari Keefe of Shari’s Berries and Gardens.  I caught her dancing the jig with fellow vendor and breadmaker,  Rafael Rodriguez.  I thought she was faking it with the walker all along, anything for pity…pathetic!!

  

  Rafael and Shari at Haymaker Farmers' Market, June 6, 2009.

  All the best for a great summer for everyone!

  Fritz.

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• 2009 Opening day!

  31May
  Categories: market bench, market growth, Market Opens, Uncategorized Comments: 0
  

  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.

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• Who gave out the key?

  30May
  Categories: market bench, market business, market growth, Market Opens, Uncategorized Comments: 0
  

  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.

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• Gravel spreading-cleanup day at Haymaker!

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

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