Watauga County Farmers' Market

By the time you read this, Watauga County Farmers' Market will have already held the first Wednesday market for 2008. The good news, if you missed it, is that there will be a market every Wednesday through September 10. The crops are coming in so well and frequent harvests are a necessity. We hope you will come out and enjoy the freshest produce available.

Ed Winebarger has returned to the market this year, and he will have plenty of organic salad greens in a mesclin mix, Chioggia beets which are often called Candystripe Beet or Bull's Eye Beet, kale, radishes and chard. Reba and Fred Greene will also have some beets, fresh rhubarb, garden ferns, maybe some strawberries, and the first of the blueberries if the turkeys don't get them. Reba has a good supply of heirloom multiplying onions, what you don't eat this winter you can set out and grow next year.

Carol Davis and Susan Jacoby will be at the market this Saturday with the beginning of their blueberry crop. If conditions are favorable they will have a steady supply of fruit through July. V.J. and Jon Bost will be there with plenty of old timey daylilies. Not only are these hardy plants good for naturalizing, but every part of the plant is edible. The nutritious flower buds are especially popular in Oriental cuisine. Pick the buds before they open to dry as golden needles for Chinese dishes, or cook fresh buds tempura style in the Japanese tradition.

Area farmers continue to work on increasing the production of free range hen eggs. Jerry Harvey will have a supply of fresh eggs along with some wild cherries and perhaps the first of the blackberry harvest. James Wagner supplied 60 dozen eggs from his Rhode Island Red, Dominiker, and Buff Orington hens to happy shoppers this past Saturday. People wanting to try their own hand at fresh egg production will want to see Joanna Wilcox and her live free range trios. Joanna raises Cuckoo and Wheaton Morans, famous for their extremely dark brown eggs, and also Salmon Faverolles, which are good layers and are also good for meat.

Jason and Laura Brooks will continue to have a good supply of grass fed beef. They have popular cuts of steak and also roasts and hamburger.

Jeff Martin has added custom free range t-shirts to his line this year. Jeff also has carved and Japanese Wabi Sabi pottery in perfect beauty.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or visit http://wcfm.info for more information. We will be there rain or shine!