Farmers' Markets Have Begun!!!

Well, as many of you along the same path as us know, we have plenty of lettuce! It is so nice to have some fresh local produce! The Kansas Grown Farmers' Market started last Saturday at the Kansas State Extension Office over on Ridge and 21st. I was so excited thinking there were going to be lots of people with asparagus, but this did not turn out to be so. The market was full of delicious baked goods, meat, eggs, transplants (I loaded up on Aloe plants in week one), and lettuce. For now that is pretty much the local offering.

Also, there are some great things growing up in the wild I am sure. I haven't seen many dandelion leaves that look great. They either look too small or too big. I found one plant in the shade over at our land that was perfect, so i picked it and had the leaves as part of my salad that night. That was the first time for me to have wild dandelion, and it was good. Of course, I was a little nervous, just because you think, "if I should be eating this why don't more people do this?" But, that is simply a non-question, people don't do a lot of things that make perfectly good sense. I am not an expert in the wild food arena, though, so if anyone knows anything more about what is out right now, and when to pick things, please write about it! My friends Jon and Marty have a lot of chives sprouting up in their front yard, so we picked some of those to use in a dip the other day, and they have some onions coming up too. I think the people that lived there before them had a very funny way of treating their lawn. It seems they scattered bulbs all over the place just to see what would come. It makes for nice surprises.

We have also started on the new adventure of designing our own clothes and having them made locally. There is a lady at the farmers' market that crochets and uses some local yarns. She is absolutely amazing! We took her some sketches for a dress I would like, and a pair of pants for Mike. She warned that it will not be cheap, but that is kind of the trade off once you start down this road isn't it? The price of fresh produce, whole grains, natural meat, sustainably farmed food, and fairly traded goods is definately something you make a commitment to on principal, not on frugalty. The payoff comes after the initial investment. Better health, closer community, learn to grow your own food, and save your seeds, and as for the clothes...we just won't have as many. A few well made, versatile pieces is all one needs to have a great wardrobe. I have also sketched and begun to pin some pieces that will come from things I have bought at thrift stores for their fabrics. The catch here is that I will either be the one sewing these things (and I don't know how well that would go, or how long that will take), or I will pay someone to do it (the last I heard seamstresses were running about $15 an hour). Both of the options leave quite a bit to be desired in the feasibility realm. If anyone reading this sews and would like to charge me on a per article rate instead of an hourly one, that would be most gracious. :)

Anyway, looking forward to this weekends' farmers' market. I am anticipating a little more variety, and May 8 is the starting day for the downtown farmers' market. The difference between these two, in case you don't know, is that the downtown one is open to any vender with any goods that would like to come. The one at the extension office (and other places around Wichita) called the Kansas Grown farmers' market is for Kansas grown or produced goods only. Kansas Grown website is www.kansasgrownmarket.com and the other is www.oldtownfarmersmarket.com. Check both of them out for events and schedules. There is a farmers' market in and around Wichita about everyday come summer, so know your rotation.