WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — We are pleased to see new visitors at the Fayette County Farmers Market every single week. We see more and more families of all types and sizes. What a joy to meet the families of fellow vendors, to see families with their canine family members, extended families, and children of all ages, singly or in multiples. Not much is more fun for me than questions from an interested child: “What is that?” (pointing to an unfamiliar vegetable) or “may I eat this?” (referring to a leaf of the mint plant) or accepting a vegetable or fruit sample. What a gift to the community, this introduction of children to the community farmers market.

Thinking about these young market visitors, I went on a book search to see if I could find children’s books about farmers markets. “Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market” by Michelle Schaub (illustrated by Amy Huntington) includes poems about honey, specific vendors and produce, the aroma of fresh baked desserts, market music, the tool sharpener, and the whimsical “Wild Dreams in Two Voices,” referring to the green zebra tomato and dinosaur kale. “Fresh Delicious: Poems for the Farmers’ Market” by Irene Latham (M. Moriuchi illustrator) features zoo animals as the market visitors, sampling the many vegetables. “Basil” is “a bouquet/of minty/green/butterfly/wings.” Peas: “a canoe/that seats/eight or ten…..”

Stop by Katrina’s booth this Saturday to take a look at these library books as well as a couple of others, including my favorite, “An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children (Kincaid and Walker).”

David Zinn, Appalachian Balladeer, will again provide the music for this first market day of August. We celebrate our much appreciated sponsor for our live music and food tasting events. Fayette County Travel and Tourism provides funds for these special events. Make a point of thanking our local Travel and Tourism bureau.

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.

Your Other Mother’s Kitchen (Don & Sara Creamer): Bread and other baked goods. Sewing crafts.

Bridge View Gardens (Hunter & Lorelle Rohrer): Fresh produce including slicing and cherry tomatoes, candy onions, zucchini, yellow summer squash, green beans, green bell peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, eggplant and cucumbers. Blackberries, cantaloupe and watermelons.

Compton Creek Farms (Jason and Jenna Bryan): assorted packaged (frozen) cuts of pasture raised chicken.

Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Baby essentials including hand crocheted blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths, muslin swaddle blankets, beaded and macrame pacifier clips, crinkle squares and other baby teethers. Also crocheted kitchen dish cloths, pot scrubbers, essential oil car diffusers and hand poured wax melts in over 50 scents.

DSC Produce Farm (Darren Cox): 10 flavors of salsa (mild to hot), 5 salad dressings and 3 BBQ sauce flavors. Pumpkin butter.

Engeti (Alana Walters & Janet Bick): dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, cakes, brownies, pies, cookies, and other baked goods.

Greens & Greenery (Katrina Bush): Fresh produce (chemical/pesticide free) —cherry tomatoes including Matt’s Wild and Sungold, garlic, green beans, bell peppers, serranos and tomatillos). Mini pecan pies, elderberry jelly (with farm grown berries and honey) and sourdough crackers. Flowering and herb plants.

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, sugar, pineapple, macadamia nut, peanut butter, peanut butter jumbos, Cracker Jack, double chocolate fudge cookies, lemon bars and peanut butter fudge.

PPCF/ The Jam Man (David Persinger): Jams/Jellies/Fruit Butters: New- plum butter, pear butter, peach habanero & no added sugar triple berry. Produce: half-runner green beans. Jasper Twp raw honey.

PPCF/The Pie Lady and S. Plymouth Raw Honey (Julie & Dennis Mosny): local raw honey and blocks of natural beeswax. Pies this week include blackberry, black raspberry, cherry, apple, peach, strawberry, rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb and raisin. Pecan sticky buns, cinni minis, Buns bars, banana cake and cinnamon rolls.

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.

Sunburst Wormstead (Sarah & Daniel Jewell): Vermibrew (worm tea) – liquid fertilizer made from worm castings and full of beneficial microbes for your indoor & outdoor plants.

Teter Farm (Owen and Kate Teter): Fresh cut flower bouquets and arrangements, dried flowers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Windy Hen Acres (Jeff Shepherd & Angie Nichols): farm fresh eggs & assorted pottery.

Wood Designs by DW (Debbie Welch): One of a kind handcrafted wood items— signs, tables, gnomes, as well as bird feeders (freestanding and hanging) and hanging bird houses. Wooden solar mushrooms and sunflowers. Crocheted items including a variety of stuffed animals, kitchen towels, pot scrubs, pot holders, baby booties, and afghans. Will take custom and special orders.

Katrina Bush is a vendor at the Fayette County Farmers Market.