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Jul
Lubbock Downtown Farmer’s Market Review July 17th
by Paul Bullock & Mary Gates
There were no overcast skies on this Market day. The sun was out and it certainly warmed things up. The market seemed to be at a slower pace than usual. There was a steady stream of shoppers who seemed to be in no hurry. There were several new vendors and a few who took this week off. But, we are happy to announce that we had 55 vendors at the Market.
There are always lots of kids, but there was a noticeable kid factor on this Market Saturday. Maybe we just had more kids hanging around the twirling sticks… It got pretty busy for Mary and me! We see many regular shoppers, but there are always new faces too, which is great!
We have our stand out vendors who seem to knock it out of the park each and every week, but not everybody can say that. Our Market vendors hope for the best and depend on a lot of shoppers who are looking for great garden produce and unique arts and crafts. We encourage you to come out and shop for an upcoming birthday or anniversary. We have vendors who are ready to offer you one of a kind gifts for those special occasions and the special people in your lives.
We can’t have a Market without our dog friends, and boy, do we have a lot of dog friends! Our Tornado Industrial/Arts dog of the week is this beautiful Golden Retriever named Norma. She seemed very happy about receiving this award! Congratulations Norma!
Each week is different and many factors play into how things go for our vendors and shoppers alike.
The Lubbock Arts Festival is this next weekend at the Civic Center, so we hope you will find a little time to stop by the Market if you plan on attending The Arts Festival on Saturday.
The produce is plentiful now, and we expect that to continue each week as we move through the summer and into the fall. We encourage you to support these passionate farmers who grow their fruits and vegetables right here in the Lubbock area. We will spotlight three more of our produce vendors for you.
PAT’S PRODUCE is run by Stacy & Pat Gill, and they are in their 4th year coming to the market. They grow all their own produce from seed out in New Home, and work about 2 acres for their garden. Stacy is a professional counselor, and Pat farms cotton with his son, so this is what they do in their “spare time”! They’ve got lots of tomatoes! 80% are Celebrity, but also Porter, Sun Gold, and a French variety called Jean Flamme. They have cucumbers, squash, okra, and peppers, including pretty Purple Beauty bells.
TEXAS COUNTRY FARMER’S MARKET was started by Cal Brints, and has been with the Market since its beginning. His is a different kind of booth, as he is more a broker than a grower. Currently run by Dwain Lee, this booth has tomatoes from Marfa, corn from Hondo, cantaloupe from Carrizo, watermelon from Edinburg, peaches from Fredricksburg, and jalapenos from South Texas. However, the squash & zucchini are grown here in Lubbock. They also carry raw honey. This vendor is participating in a new program called Double Up Food Bucks, which helps those with EBT cards to get free fruits and vegetables! For more information on how that works, call (806) 503-3787, or visit DoubleUpTexas.org.
WILD BILL’S VEGGIES doesn’t have their name on a banner, but you’ll know them by their extra large booth with lots of watermelons & cantaloupes (some are huge) & a banner that says Farmer’s Market. This go-getter family has been a consistent participant in the Market for 10 years, and they have an impressive array of produce. Working 4-5 acres in Plainview, Christine Williamson, her son Corey & daughter-in-law Shiloh grow tomatoes, onions, peaches, patty pan squash, red potatoes, jalapenos, carrot, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and bell peppers. They also have a great variety of canned goods, including jams, pickles, okra, jalapenos, and salsa. And honey! And eggs! (only $3 a dozen…what a deal!) Whew! These folks are busy! They grow without any chemicals, and had an interesting tip… spray Valentine’s Hot Sauce for any type of insect problem.
As you can see, the Downtown Farmer’s Market is teeming with fresh and delicious food for you and your family, so COME ON DOWN!