WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — There is no denying that we are in a prolonged dry spell, perhaps even a drought. We have yards and fields that look more like what yards and fields often look like in the heat and the dry spells of August. The lack of rain, combined with the persistent heat, is hard on animals, insects, soil and vegetation. Plants that are watered manually will make it through this period, but no one is in a position to water every tree, plant, crop on a given property. The bigger the property or farm, the larger the percentage of what cannot be manually watered, and which must hold on until rain arrives.
Many Americans think of water as a virtually unlimited and “free” resource. The ones who know it is not have often faced some short or long term catastrophe, such as tainted pipes, flooding and sewage impacting water supplies, or wells running dry due to drought or community priorities for use of water by businesses.
There’s no reason to believe that this kind of weather extreme won’t occur again, and again. There are things we can do to lessen the impact of limited water availability including planting drought tolerant plants, mulching gardens and flower beds and when these are watered, watering deeply and less frequently. Prioritizing food crops over lawns is an obvious choice….function over beauty sometimes.. and it’s smart to consider now how to transition from grass lawns to more sustainable and drought tolerant options. In my own yard now I’m watching trees and shrubs suffer from the heat and lack of moisture; much of my soil is very rocky, and does not hold water well. But I’m keeping water available in shallow bowls for the bees and birds.
This week’s Fayette County Farmers Market community guest is Fayette County Public Health. Additionally, David Woolever of Community Action will be at the market from 9 a.m. to noon to assist seniors (60 years and older) with signing up for $50 in Senior Farmers Market coupon benefits (vegetables, fruits and honey). Children shopping at this week’s market can stop by the kids activity table at the info booth to make and decorate a balloon squeezy ball with Mrs. Debra.
This week there will be a Modern Woodmen Supply Drive to benefit the Fayette County Dog Shelter. Volunteers will collect items from the community, such as: blankets, bleach, collars, leashes, grain free-beef free dog food, laundry soap, Lysol spray, paper towels, Pine Sol, towels. Donations will also be accepted to defray the costs of spaying and neutering the dogs at the shelter before adoption. Modern Woodmen of America founded in 1883 as a fraternal benefit society, offers financial services, fraternal member benefits and partners with members on community improvement projects throughout the United States. For more information please call district agent Dan Mayo at 937-725-0445.
The Market is open Saturday morning from 8:30 to noon. It is located in the municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and East East streets. SNAP EBT food benefit cards and credit/debit cards are accepted. Those using the SNAP EBT card for food purchases receive matching dollar “Produce Perks” tokens ($1 for $1) good only for fruits, vegetables, and food producing plants. So, “buy one, get one” for up to $25 every market day. Five dollar coupons will be available again for Fayette County Farm Bureau members at each Saturday market; these can be spent at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.
PPCF/ The Jam Man (David Persinger): Jams/Jellies/Fruit Butters: All in stock, currently the only fruit butter is apple butter. New this week is Traffic Jam 2024 (strawberry, gooseberry & blackberry) Also, chocolate Texas sheet cakes with or without pecans. Produce: blackberries and half-runner green beans.
Red Maple Goats and Soaps (Cindy Grover): Goat milk soaps as well as soothing bath soaks, foot cream, lotions, and 100% handmade goat milk products.
Rural Beans Roastery LLC (Kameron Rinehart): Coffee products, coffee air fresheners, campfire mugs, sampler boxes and laptop stickers.
Teter Farm (Owen and Kate Teter): Cut flower bouquets, houseplants, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Your Other Mother’s Kitchen (Don & Sara Creamer): Bread and other baked goods. Sewing crafts.
Bridge View Gardens (Hunter & Lorelle Rohrer): Fresh seasonal produce.
Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Baby essentials including hand crocheted blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths, muslin swaddle blankets, teethers and pacifier clips. Also crocheted kitchen dish cloths, pot scrubbers and hand poured wax melts in over 50 scents. New this week: essential oil car diffusers.
DSC Produce Farm (Darren Cox): 10 flavors of salsa, five salad dressings and three BBQ sauce flavors.
Edlynns Attic (Robin Dement): Dog biscuits, wax melts, loveys, fingerless gloves, loveys, yarn, knitted pumpkins and snakes and more.
Engeti (Alana Walters & Janet Bick): dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, cakes, brownies, pies, cookies, and other baked goods.
Hostetter Kitchen (Melody Martin): Pies, yeast breads, butter rolls, cheese bread, pizza buns, cinnamon buns, raspberry swirl buns, zucchini, pumpkin and banana (tea) breads, cakes, bars, whoopie pies and more.
Jim’s Premium Ground Beef (Jim Hobbs): Premium ground beef in assorted packages (patties, bulk tubes).
Julie G’s Cookies (Julie Greenslade): Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, ginger, snickerdoodle, sugar, pineapple, macadamia nut, peanut butter, peanut butter jumbos, peanut butter fudge, lemon bars and Cracker Jack cookies.
Katrina Bush is a vendor with the Fayette County Farmers Market.
