The first day of June was beautiful and busy at the Floyd Farmers Market. We started out with our spring pancake breakfast. Hosted by volunteers and staff of Sustain Floyd to raise funds to support the farmers market, it was a resounding success! While they served up scrambled eggs, pancakes, potato bake, and sausage with orange juice and a seemingly endless supply of Red Rooster coffee, we were entertained with a wide range of music, starting with folk and contemporary music played by John Wilson and Erica Joy, and ending with attendees of the Blue Ridge Music Festival playing wind instruments. Thanks to the Bright Farm for the sausage and Weathertop Farm, Patchwork Farm, Waterbear Farm, Riverstone Farm and Good Food—Good People for eggs.
The market was full of spring greens: kale, arugula, spinach, collards, mustard greens, and lettuce. Baby carrots, radishes, zucchini and yellow straight neck squash, fresh herbs, English shelling peas, scallions, and tomatoes were available and should continue to come in next week. Strawberries and cherries were in the market and should also be available on the 8th. Cherries can be found at the Good Food — Good People table. They also offer strawberries as does Kester Clark Farm.
Buffalo Mountain joined the party with their zingy ginger and hibiscus kombuchas. Kombucha is a flavored fermented green tea product that is both refreshing and delicious. They sell it by the cup or by the growler jug.
We also have transplants available for the vegetable, herb and perennial garden through Maya at the Floyd Market Collective. The Rising Sun Community School offers transplants as well.
Kester Clark Farm offers some old-fashioned, heirloom plants, including African violets, spider plants, snake plants (aka “Mother-In-Law Tongue” for its sharply pointed leaves!) and forsythia. Bess and Janice offer the only shelled walnuts in the market. They also have fresh cut herbs including marjoram, sage and oregano.
Next week, we expect to have many more vendors. Back in the market will be Elizabeth of Busy Bee with her salsas, dips and spreads; Karla of La Abuelita with homemade Latino food specialties, flavored poporopo (“popcorn”) and cakes and breads made by her mother, Norma Greene. Black Water Loft will be back with delicious pastries and hot and cold beverages for those in need of wake-up service or a thirst quencher. Sweetwater Bakery breads can be found at the Floyd Market Collective tables.
We should have plenty of meat and eggs, though, as the Dulaneys of Highland Farm will be back with pork cuts and sausage, beef products and whole chickens and eggs. Good Food — Good People have a wide range of Bright meat products as well as cheese and eggs and Riverstone Farm has assorted lamb and pork products, as well as eggs, on offer.
Our music next Saturday will be provided by Tim Pak, a favorite musician of the market. He will be joined for a short time by musicians from the Blue Ridge Music Festival participants.
So, come to the Floyd Community Pavilion on Saturday to shop with our local farmers and take the time to sit down and listen to great music and enjoy a pastry and beverage. We are opening earlier this season, at 8:30 a.m.
