30th Anniversary Party!

Celebrating 30 Years With Face Painting, Prizes, & Pizza

On Saturday, the Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association celebrated 30 years of their farmers' markets in Beaver County.  Of course, they waited 30 years to have a party in the rain, but no one was complaining!  It's been so dry this summer that many crops have suffered or outright failed for our farmers.  The rain on Saturday was off & on, but it was much gentler than earlier in the week.  LFLF missed the Thursday afternoon market, but it was held during the drenching downpours that moved through Western PA that day.  

Sweet Corn & Colorful Veggies From Oak Spring Farm

LFLF left the market with cookies, some new potatoes, & a nice bouquet of cut flowers after enjoying some of the pizza party .........

New Potatoes

Stop At Schiefelbein's Farm Market!

A Nice Touch!

LFLF stopped in at this local "on farm" market for the first time this season.  Normally we would pass Schiefelbein's Farm Market every day on the way home from work.  This year the Ambridge/Aliquippa Bridge project means that we have to detour in the opposite direction ..... and to top it off, a "small" bridge re-building project is underway right next to the market!  It's one of those bridges that most people never notice as they drive over it.  There is a temporary traffic light installed about a hundred feet away from the market on Route 151.

Schiefelbein's Farm Market Customers

 Today we picked up yellow plums, broccoli, and yellow summer squash.  The refrigerated case holds  Brunton Dairy milk & Seibel's eggs.  Beaver Valley Honey from local beekeeper J. Lee Miller is also on the shelves.  Just check out the sign for some of the other home grown veggies that they have now. 

Farm Fields Stretching Across The Valley Bottom

Fields Along Rt 151 & Antique Equipment!

 This local family has been farming for quite some time and you can see their planting right along Route 151.  To satisfy the late season market, we saw sweet corn that's only 6" to 1' high right now ..... perfect for late September.

Organics At Beaver Market!

Organic Veggies

Brenkle's Organics have become very popular at the Beaver Market.  The last organic grower here to the recollection of LFLF was Muddy Paws Farm several years ago.  Muddy Paws was owned by Jessica Walliser of the KDKA Radio Sunday morning show "The Organic Gardeners".  Anyway, it's good to have the choice for the customers who want to buy organic. 

Organic Pepper Varieties, Basil, Onions, & Squash

Announcing a special event next week at the market - a 30th Anniversary Founders Day Party!
Don't miss this chance to celebrate 30 years of LOCAL FOOD!  This "producer only" farmer run group of markets were promoting local growers long before the movement was a nationwide craze.
See you at the Beaver Farmers' Market next Saturday!

Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
1982 - 2012
Celebrating 30 Years of Farmers' Markets in Beaver County!

VanPelt's Farm Market

The LFLF Selection! 

LFLF was out in Ohio on Saturday, so we had a chance to stop at VanPelt's Farm Market on Route 14 between the Columbiana area & Salem, Ohio.  It was around 11AM & the market was packed with only a half dozen parking spaces open.  We were looking for home grown sweet corn & they had it!  Blueberries, peaches, & tomatoes rounded out our produce haul.  We also picked up "Grandma's Maple Walnut Granola" from their bakery and some egg noodles from "The Noodle Kitchen", another local shop. 
This is the kind of market where you can go to get produce for canning.  We saw a bunch of pickling cucumbers and a large box (half bushel?) of wax beans brought out for customers who had ordered ahead.  Bunches of dill, garlic cloves, & other herbs were also available. 

VanPelt's Farm Market - Rt 14 Columbiana/Salem Area

You won't be disappointed if you venture out to this market - just don't do it as a Sunday drive - no Sunday sales!  Besides baked goods and a line of canned sauces & dressings, they also have home-made fudge and a cooler of eggs, Amish meats, cheeses, & butter from the Walnut Creek area.  
Another tip if you head out that way from Pennsylvania - you will pass Catalpa Grove Farm - famous for their "pick your own" business.  They were crowded too as we passed by! 

Summer Herbs & Seasoning



Parsley & Chives

This evening at the Ambridge Farmers' Market, LFLF focused on herbs and other seasoning veggies for summer cooking & grilling.   The potted herbs looked fabulous & we certainly need to get a few plants and pot them up for a little kitchen container garden. 

Varigated Sage

There were little onions for skewering with meat & veggies and these shallots and garlic should inspire some creative grilling!

Shallots

Softneck Garlic

We have to admit that we arrived a bit late at the market tonight. Apparently, it was a beehive of activity today due to the booth set up for Senior nutition vouchers.  A big crowd always shows up for that activity.

Mountain Fresh @ Oakland, MD!

Lined Up For Peaches & Apples!

LFLF took a day trip on Saturday to Deep Creek Lake & had a chance to stop in again at the Mountain Fresh Farmers' Market in Oakland, Maryland.  The market opens at 10AM and we got there around 11AM, so there were still a lot of folks shopping.  The orchard had customers waiting in line for peaches & apples the whole time we were there.  Several vendors had blueberries & raspberries.  

Shopping For Veggies

A couple of the vendors had pictures of their farms and it seems that many have high tunnels.  In chatting a little, it seems that they are also "ahead of schedule" on many crops. 

Alpaca & Wensleydale (!) Fiber and Yarn

This market is in a tourist area, so there are about 8 booths that are local arts & crafts ..... rag rugs, felting & fiber art, photography, fine wood turning, yarn, and soaps & candles. 

Pound Cake & Ginger Snaps - Mmmmmm!

The market also has several vendors who also sell baked goods.  LFLF picked up the last lemon pound cake and a couple of bags of ginger snaps (one of our favorites!) from the same lady we 've purchased from in the past.  Both goodies were excellent!
This true "tail-gate" market is in the shade and it's a good thing!  Temperatures climbed up to 100 degrees on Saturday ...... on our way back home in the afternoon, the truck registered 104 degrees on I68 & again on I79!   Wow.

Mountain Fresh Farmers' Market - Oakland, MD - Shop Under Cover!

Market Goodies!

Mixed Bouquet From Ridgemont Farms

LFLF made it to the Ambridge Farmers' Market this evening after work.  The flowers were gorgeous tonight & I picked out 2 bunches for an arrangement at home.  Robin from Ridgemont Farms  says that the flowers are just exploding --- snapdragons came on quickly & are in their full glory thanks to this heat wave.  This is a great time to look over a big selection of bouquets ---- see this farm at the Beaver Market on Saturday.
Of course it was hot, so I decided to get something for supper.  Stuffed cabbage & pulled pork were first on the agenda.  Then it was off to pick up some summer squash and other veggies. 

Yellow Transparent Apples - 1st Of The Season

There were some  Yellow Transparent apples this week .... click to read a story to go with them.

Golden Beets

Beaver Market Dodged The Rain!

Customers Selecting Garlic Braids

Just before LFLF got to market this morning, we ran through a little downpour and then a sprinkle closer to the market in Beaver.   Of course, as soon as you decide to carry an umbrella, it won't rain and the sprinkles stopped as we started to shop.

Cucumbers & Squash Are In!

What did we buy today?  Four cucumbers - we each bought 2 and ran back into each other as we left the market(!), a quart of red plums - yum(!), green beans, & peanut butter cookies.

How About This Lettuce?

But what did we MISS this week?  LFLF was returning home from a business trip on Friday and got diverted off of I-70 in Ohio due to an accident.  While tooting along on US Route 40 - the National Highway - I passed the Guernsey County Farmers' Market in front of the courthouse in Cambridge, Ohio.  WHERE was my camera when I needed it???  This is probably the 1st time that I forgot to take it with me.  You never know what you'll find and LFLF has a duty to report all things "local"!  It was just before 1PM and the vendors were just starting to take down their displays.  Wish I could have stopped & captured some images to report ........  maybe next time! :(
You'll have to settle for their web-site now.  It appeared that they were ahead of our local season here in Western, PA by a couple of weeks.  I can also confirm that whole fields of field corn were in tassel just south of Columbus, Ohio.