I've been meaning to get to the farmers' market at the Saint James Catholic Church parking lot in Sewickley for months ...... for one reason or another, I just haven't been "out & about" that way on a Saturday all summer. Today I found myself driving past Sewickley in the rain & of course, the car veered into a parking space and out came the camera! It had just stopped raining when I got to the market, so the crowds were lighter than usual.
Where to begin??? I think that we'll have several installments to do justice to the great variety of farmer and vendors in Sewickley. First, a bit of history. This market is in it's 4th year and is the vision of one man who wanted to bring local produce to the community and support local family farms. Although I'm sure that others (of course including the parish) have been of great help, this has been a labor of love for it's founder, hereafter known as "Dr. Rob". Thanks to Dr. Rob for tirelessly searching out and providing support to a fantastic mix of local farmers and entreprenuers.
For those of you interested in
USDA Certified Organic produce, this is a market for you. Evan Verbanic of
Cherry Valley Organics was there with some great heirloom tomatoes, beautiful clamshells of yellow & red salad tomatoes, tomatillos, etc - all certified organic. They also bring soaps, lip balms, hand salves, & other herbal products. Both Evan & Jodi have committed themselves and their farm to going beyond "local food" by achieving certified organic status.
http://www.cherryvalleyorganics.com/ You might want to check their web-site for gift ideas too!
Espresso Specialty Foods had a really nice & packed table display. A steady stream of customers were snapping up the baked goods pictured here. A sampling of goodies made it home with me ........
http://www.espressospecialtyfoods.com/
Finally for today, a look at cut flowers from Pisarcik Greenhouses of Valencia, PA.
