Local Herb & Garden Fair

Herb & Garden Fair In Harmony, PA - Vendor With Herbal Teas

LFLF stumbled upon a nice little local garden fair on Saturday.  The town of Harmony, PA was in festival mode when we passed by.  It was close to closing at the Harmony Museum Herb & Garden Fair and we came away with a couple of packs of marigold plants and some potted herbs.  This festival will be on the agenda for next year!  In addition to the vendors outside, the festival has a plant swap in the barn.  It works like this ... you show up with your potted plants and the folks put a dollar value and color code on them.  The sign even says that there is a drive-thru lane for drop off & pick up!  :)  You then have credit dollars to shop in the swap.  If you don't bring plants - no problem - you just pay the amount assigned to the plants at the check out table based on the color code.  The ladies manning the table told me to be there earlier next year ... double :).  Parking might be a little tight early on, but there is also a shuttle van running from "downtown" Harmony to the barn over the creek & outside of town.  There were about a dozen vendors outside, food in the barn, and Penn State Master Gardeners manning a question & answer booth. 

Shoppers At Always Summer Herbs

Nice Selection Of Herbs, Heirlooms, & Annual Flats From Cider House Farm Market

A Visit To The Sewickley Farmers' Market !

 

Shoppers At The Sewickley Farmers' Market

Once again, you can't miss the signs directing you to the Sewickley Farmers' Market!  It was a brilliant sunny & warm Saturday & LFLF was out and about o this side of the Ohio River.

Sewickley Farmers' Market - Follow The Signs --->





Dillner Family Farm Customers

Peas, Strawberries, & Eggs From Dillner Family Farm

Green Onions, Beets, & Rhubarb At Dillner Family Farm

Today we stuck with photos of the farmer vendors ... leading off with Dillner Family Farm  and  Clarion River Organics . 
There are also plenty of food & specialty vendors to choose from here.  You can certainly take home something ready to eat or pick up unique gift items!

Clarion River Organics - A Great Selection of Greens!

McElhaney Family Farm - Customers Making Their Beef Selections

Cherry Valley Organics - Yes, We Have Lemon Grass!

Cherry Valley Organics - Soaps & Lip Products

Cherry Valley Organics had a very nice selection of personal care products in addition to the herb & veggies plants offered today with more organic produce as the season progresses ...
Speaking of the season progressing, the folks from Brown's Pure Maple Products said that they had a late start to the season this year.  Normally finishing around the 1st of April, they went a week longer with their maple taps up in Venango County ... everyone seems to be a week or two behind this spring.

Buying Maple Syrup From Brown's

Here's a close-up of the maple syrup products ... too many to fit in one picture!

Half of The Selection at Brown's Pure Maple Products ...

The Other Half of Brown's Pure Maple Products!

 

Beeswax At BFM!

Beeswax Brick From McCormack Apiaries

LFLF forgot to take the camera last Saturday, so I snapped a couple of pictures at home.  Then I promptly forgot to make a post ...  anyhow, better late than never. 
I have a project coming up that calls for waxed jute, sisal, or linen twine, so I needed some beeswax.  Of course, McCormack Apiaries was there at the Beaver Farmers' Market with their full line of honey & beeswax products. 
We also grabbed some green onions and a small bag of cookies (they didn't make it to the picture!).
Not sure which market we'll get to tomorrow.  We have errands to run that will take us in the other direction & past the Sewickley Farmers' Market.  Stay tuned ... we haven't been there yet this year.

Beaver Farmers' Market Is Open!

Beaver Farmers' Market Opening Day

LFLF went to the opening day of the Beaver Farmers' Market looking for green onions and did not come away disappointed.  I had to move on to "Farmer #2" because as I waited in line at "Farmer #1", eyeing the onions, the woman in front of me said "I'll take those too." pointing at the onion bunches.  Aaacckkk!   So ... it was time to move on to the next booth.

Oak Spring Farm - Potato Buying Customers In Line 

Schweikert Greenhouse Veggie Plant Flats & Herbs

Schweikert Greenhouse was at the market with lots of flowing baskets - perfect for Mother's Day - and the green flats of veggies and potted herb plants.  The hanging baskets were walking past us out of the market with several customers as we shopped.

More Folks In Line At Pat's Pastries

Of course, LFLF picked up a bag of cookies from Pat's Pastries ...

Easter Flowers!

Tulips & Daffodils For Easter!

Did you get your Easter flowers yet?  The lilies, tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils can all be planted outside once the blooms are faded.  They'll come back next year at the normal time in the growing season ...
There's something a little strange today about picking out Easter flowers in the middle of a snow squall just 2 days after 80 degree temps!  :)

Local Grower Gets Ready For Spring!

Pansies & Violas At Janoski's Farm Market & Greenhouse

LFLF found this sure sign of spring at Janoski's today ... the flats and baskets are outside under roof next to the greenhouse.  A couple of shoppers were taking their favorites into the greenhouse to pay for them.

Janoski's Onions, Lettuce, & Cole Crop Plants

Both of them mentioned that they were buying plants now for containers that they could keep covered if needed.  Isn't it so tempting to buy these great looking plants & take a chance?

Janoski's Lettuce Flats

 Here are a couple of other items for sale.  Fresh from local Seibel's Farm - small eggs anyone? 


You Can Still Get Potatoes, Apples, & Cabbage!

Local Food Supply Chain In The Limelight!

Invitation To Attend Local Food Round Table Discussion

LFLF attended a stakeholder meeting Wednesday evening sponsored by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and the topic was locally produced food.  The Beaver County Agricultural Land Preservation Board gathered farmers/producers and local businesses as well as local officials to discuss the benefits of local foods, possiblities of expanding the availablity of local foods, and the barriers to supplying & utilizing local food.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission - Why Are We Here?

Represented were produce farms, dairy farms, an organic CSA, beef, & lamb producers, honey producers, as well as community gardens, businesses using local produce, and local officials.
The group was split up and the sub-groups brainstormed specific barriers to production as well as possible solutions.

Laura Mundell of SPC Facilitating Discussion

Three other SW PA counties have been surveyed so far. The 10 county compiled results will be used in future regional economic growth strategies ..... stay tuned!

David Pinkosky of SPC Gets An Answer From The Producers

One of the topics that came up late in the discussion was the potential impact of the Federal Food Safety Modernization Act  ......... LFLF has been remiss in not bringing this topic up in this forum!