August 27th, 2022 Farmers Market

August 20, 2022 Market Review

By Paul Bullock & Mary Gates

Finally we have cooler weather and with it rain. The vendors seemed to have started set up a little later than usual and some even arrived a little late, but the cool weather had all the vendors excited and very chatty. There were a lot of helping hands as the canopies went up. We had a good vendor turn out with lots of fresh produce and fruit. We expect the farmers to finish strong with the help of the rains.

After set up we got some sprinkles and even a few short bursts of rain to dampen the streets and the canopies. I think the cloudy rainy forecast kept some of our regular shoppers and potential shopper at home, which is too bad because we enjoyed a cool clean fresh Market. I think our vendors did well even with the limited shoppers. One of our favorite vendors The Onion Shed sold out in record time, as a matter of fact. Block 20 Produce was an early out as well with their produce being bought up very quickly.

The shopper’s spirits were not dampened at all. We had our usual out of town shoppers and we always enjoy welcoming them to Lubbock and to our Market. The March of Dimes showed up to encourage continued vigilance during this uptick in covid cases here in Lubbock as well. The sprinkles were enough to have quite a few umbrellas popping up, which is something we haven’t seen for a while. Shopper also sought shelter under the canopies and that may have helped in sales too. We have a variety of artisans that bring their wares and the stories of how they began their businesses. One of the best things about being a vendor is the general interest by the public in what is being sold and the details of ones Market experience as a vendor.

The kids are back in school and those that stopped by to chat seemed very excited about the upcoming school year. I certainly enjoy the kids and the families. I enjoy all the dogs as well and this week, although the dogs arrived late they came out in good numbers after a slow start. We have a parade of dogs weekly and we always choose one dog to be our Tornado Industrial/Arts Dog of the Day and we are happy to award Remi the coveted title. Remi stole the show this week! Congratulations Remi! We have about 8 more Markets to go before our Mid October finish and we will continue to have watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, and all kinds of vegetables to offer. Our salsas and pickled goods are made with tender loving care. There are jams and jellies, and baked good galore. We will have our regular arts and crafts vendors to offer unique gifts for all occasions, and we hope that you will support these small businesses. We are located at 19^th and Buddy Holly Ave. from 9:00 to 1:00 every Saturday. Thank you for your support.

The featured vendor this week is Sugarland Premium Beef run by Tiffany Mote. They have locally raised Akaushi Beef (this is one of the four breeds of Japanese Wagyu Beef). All of their cattle are grain fed – hormone and antibiotic free. Cattle is finished at Sugarland Cattle Feeders in Hereford, TX, and processed at Panhandle Meat Processing in Amarillo, TX (where all of their meat is also USDA inspected). The unique feature of their beef is the intense marbling that is throughout it. This gives the meat a tender, buttery flavor. It also contains a higher concentration of monounsaturated fat relative to saturated fat, which the American Heart Association notes can lead to lower cholesterol, the prevention of coronary heart disease and weight loss (you can see more information on this on the American Akaushi Association’s website).

We would like to thank everyone who attended the August 20^th market and we hope to see you next Saturday.