Watauga County Farmers' Market

There are plenty of interesting reasons to stop by Watauga County Farmers' Market this Saturday. William Fairchild will be harvesting fresh strawberries right up until frost. Eugene McGuire will bring another 100 dozen eggs this weekend. David Sengel will have homegrown celery, and Rene Donker will be bringing Shiitake mushrooms and okra. Reba Green is not sure if her Indian corn will be ready by this weekend or hold off until the next Saturday, but she will certainly have plenty of potatoes and ripe tomatoes.

Ed Winebarger's decorative gourds are ripening well, and he still has a very good supply of heirloom tomatoes and various culinary herbs. Our newest vendor Russell Bard is becoming quite popular with his Peaches and Cream sweet corn, watermelons, cantaloupe, bell peppers and eggplant.

Sheri Castle's cooking demo was a wonderful thing last Saturday, and everyone enjoyed tasting the dishes she prepared at the market. There are still copies of the Potato Salad with Chow-Chow and Bacon, Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Pepper and Pear Soup dishes she prepared, ask for them at the manager's booth.

Recent rains have done well to refresh local flower beds. It is a good time to check your planting plan and then head over to the market for late blooming perennials to fill the gaps. Chris Teague has a wide variety of plants in full bloom including sedums and other succulents, tall garden Phlox, daisies, Asters and coneflowers.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Saturday mornings through the end of October at 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 send an email for more information. We will be there rain or shine!