July 30th 2022 Farmers Market

Market Review July 23

By Paul Bullock & Mary Gates

We gathered once again on the street called Buddy Holly Ave. We have been meeting there for the Lubbock Downtown Farmer’s Market for 14^th years now. Vendors and shoppers come and go, but the Market stays and changes a little with each passing year. The vendor numbers were up for this Market and it seems the number of shoppers increased a little also. We had several new vendors and lots of new faces in the crowd. The fruits and vegetables are in high demand! I was speaking with a friend who had rushed from his work to buy tomatoes, and left without any because tomatoes sell very quickly. Our peach vendor was selling peaches by the case and I saw more than one shopper carrying a couple of cases to their vehicles. Some of our favorite produce vendors sold out, including Ethan’s Earthly Edibles, Onion Shed Farms, and Rock’n A&W Farm and Ranch! It pays to show up early if you hope to bring our fresh produce back to your home.

Needless to say it was busy and busy translates in to a festive atmosphere. Add dogs and small children and suddenly we have something special on the streets of the Market. Our Market is family friendly and we love seeing grandparents, parents and kids representing 3 generations exploring our Market. Our information booth has suckers for the kids, and water and treats for our canine friends. We always choose one dog to show our appreciation to our dog owners and their companions and we declare that this week we honor Hoot as our Tornado Industrial/Arts Dog of the Day! You’re the best, Hoot!

We were pleasantly surprised to have our friend, Janie Moynihan join the Market and entertain us with her wooden flutes. Her lovely music wafts through the area, creating a peaceful environment in which to browse. We hope that Janie will stop by and play for us more often! We still have lots of the summer left, and we will continue into the autumn months with the fresh family farm produce that is the cornerstone of our Market. We hope that before you shop for your groceries that you will choose to support our farmers who provide a long list of fruits and vegetables including peppers, onions, squash, greens, peaches, cucumbers, blackeyed peas, garlic, pecans, corn, and of course tomatoes. And lets not forget all the artists and craftsmen that bring their talent to the Market. We hope to see you as the summer continues and we believe you will have a great shopping experience at our Lubbock Downtown Farmer’s Market located at 19^th and Buddy Holly Ave. From 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Our highlighted vendor this week is CIRCLE JM FARMS. Coming all the way from Stanton, Texas. Marla Halfmann and Jesse Cooper provide a wide range of freeze dried foods. Marla’s mother-in-law used to can all of their leftover produce, but when she passed away, the couple was hesitant to do the canning without her expertise. The idea of freeze drying seemed a safer route, and so it began! This process starts with freezing to negative 30 degrees, then heating as a vacuum pump pulls out the moisture. What remains has only lost 3% of its nutritional quality, but is now storable for years. Their products include mixed fruit, apple, banana, pineapple, chili lime mango, chili lime corn, asparagus, garlic squash, beans & rice, and a red chili stew that is Jesse’s own recipe. There’s taffy & candy too! These food products are easily rehydrated for use, or you can snack on some of them the way they are! Great for camping, hiking, remote work locales, or just to have as stored food! Check it out!

We appreciate everyone who came out to the market this Saturday and we hope to see you next week.