It just doesn’t seem possible that we should be having frost and freezing temperatures already. Why it was only yesterday that we were mowing the grass and planting flowers! But as many of you experienced this morning, our first freeze has arrived and another in store for tonight.
Hubby spent the afternoon picking peppers. We have 2 1/2 crates of peppers sitting in the livingroom awaiting my attention. I went out and gleaned the bell peppers and tomatoes later. I should have enough for some green tomato relish!
Considering how poor our gardening efforts were this year, we didn’t do too bad with okra and hot peppers. Hind-sight is 20/20 and I do wish that we had skipped planting the tomatoes altogether. They just do not like us I’m beginning to think! 
Next Saturday, 10-17 is our very last day at Market for this season. The downtown Market will be hosting a customer appreciation day with a free burger feed sponsored by Cross C Ranch! Plus we plan to give away one of our quality shopping bags to regular customers and those making a purchase! How sweet is that?
So be sure to come on out next Saturday and help us go out in style! We will also have a terrific raffle prize donated by some of our vendors! Good food and great fun! Hope to see you there.
Did you know that there are two ways to keep up to date with what’s going on around Burt Craig Farms? There are! You can subscribe to the RSS feeds of this blog or you can join our yahoogroup. We use it to send out special announcements, like when we’ve got okra or jelly ready, or a new batch of soap cured. Not to worry, no spam allowed! And I wont fill up your inbox either! For local patrons only, so if you’re not from our local area I’m sorry but I have to draw the line somewhere!
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Join in and keep updated!
Can you believe that it’s nearly August? With the arrival of August, we’re reminded that summer is nearly done with and school starts in a few weeks. Along with that, there have been and will be more local county fairs, then finally state fair. And that brings fall in all too soon. Saturday is the first, and promises to be a very busy day at market. Downtown Independence is hosting the annual sidewalk sale plus a car show a block over from the Farmers’ Market. That means that this Saturday has the potential to be the busiest market day this season.
Besides a great selection of baked goods, vegetables and meats, we’ll have live music by “Little Dear” from 9:00 to 11:00. Music makes market much more memorable. Say that out loud fast five times!
Burt Craig Farms will have freshly made Jalapeno Jelly! Something to add some spice in your diet if not your life. And I just might have some other extra goodies as well. I will also have some nice bell peppers along with hot jalapenos and fresh cut herbs.
I’ve kept my fingers busy this week and will have a few new designs in my hemp jewelry collection. Be sure to stop by and check our booth out this Saturday.
We’ll be gone next week, so no market vending for me. However, I will be visiting my favorite out-of-town Farmers Market, so stop in next week and see my post and pics of this very busy market in Lincoln Nebraska.
Burt Craig Farms has a new facebook page, check it out! Become a fan and keep up to date on our market happenings.
Hannah and I ventured out to market today, not as customers, but as vendors. She was a great little market member! She snuggled in my sling, or played on a blanket in the flatbed. She was the best little marketing tool ever! 
Everyone loves a new baby!
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- Burt Craig Farms Booth
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- Laying on the flatbed at market.
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- Fresh culinary herbs.
Customers found fresh herbs, jalapenos, pepper sampler bags, soap and jewelry at our booth today. I hope to add hot pepper jelly for the next few weeks and some new jewelry creations too!
We had eight vendors and a good steady flow of customers. Our vendors include: 4 Star Emu Ranch, Cross C Ranch, Mama Jo’s produce, Reichenberger’s Produce, Burt Craig Farms, Yoder’s Baked Goods, Lefever Plant Farm and misc craft vendors.
Our variety of entertainment continues to expand. Today we had mountain dulcimier then acoustic guitar music. I really enjoy the music during market. The music just adds such a nice touch. It’s not only someplace to shop for local items, but a gathering place. Someplace to visit with friends, listen to great music and just enjoy the morning and perhaps a cinnamon roll too.
It’s nice to see the market doing so good. Each day we make progress. I am very pleased with how our new downtown market is doing so far. I think that the other vendors and downtown merchants are as well. Many of the downtown merchants have supported our market, so be sure to shop downtown and thank those who have our posters in their windows!
You can check out our downtown market’s website here. Next weekend, come on down and enjoy the festivities! Buy a raffle ticket and a canvas shopping bag while you are there. The raffle & bags helps support the market and allow for no fees for our vendors!
REMEMBER: Next Saturday is Kid’s Day, there will be inflatables for the children to play on and fun stuff for kids at market! Plus a fabulous raffle item just for kids! Hope to see you and your children there!!
Spring on the farm usually means baby animals. Well we’ve passed spring, but the babies are coming. I thought I’d share a little info about each one and a photo.
Around here on this ‘farm’ [aka large suburban lot!] the babies started coming in June. The first one, our favorite, was a female. She was dark haired and a healthy size. We were very pleased! She’ll grow up to be quite productive I’m sure. The momma is quite protective and we keep her in the house.
The second, well, I’m not sure the sex of this little critter yet. Never have figured out how to tell the difference on these types. Cute little thing, has an ‘afro’ my friend says. Light coloring, yellow now but will probably grow up to be white, not sure on the productivity. Either we’ll get eggs or meat out of “it”. This little one’s momma didn’t do such a good job, so we had to bring this one in the house for a while.
Lastly, we have this cute little thing, yellow and grey. Gotta love this fuzzy little creature. Time will tell the sex on this one as well. So far, it’s momma has proven to be quite protective and hisses at anyone coming near her pen. She still has a nest full of eggs, we’ll see if we get anymore siblings.
That’s it for our baby report. Check back in for updates on the growth process.
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- Baby number 3
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- Baby number 2
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- Baby number 1
We know that old saying all to well. Here it is nearly June and we finally planted our first of 18 flats of veggies. Stewart with help from friend and neighbor Nick Wright, planted jalapenos today in our freshly tilled garden. Stewart had been planning on a fall garden all along and thought that we wouldn’t have the hot peppers that we usually have due to limited availability. Imagine his surprise when he found 400 of those little hot peppers at Sunflower Farms! So he decides to get them anyway. *sigh* Ambitious I guess.
Besides jalapenos, we also have a variety of hots and sweet bell peppers. Plus our usual plethora of tomatoes. Add a few new herb plants to the equation and you have just a little under 900 plants ready for soil. So if you’re not busy and need some dirt under your fingernails, we’ve got just the thing for you! Garden therapy!
We’ll save enough room in the garden for some okra, but that’s it for this year. We reduced the size by about 1/3 since we’re only doing a late/fall garden. It does look good though to finally see tilled soil and little green plants sitting out there once again. Unfortunately a smaller garden means more lawn to mow, 
it’s a give and take I’m afraid.
While the men slaved away in the heat and dust, we women enjoyed a nice glass of freshly brewed sun tea and watched the children splash around in the kiddie pool. It’s hard work I know, but someone has to do it. Actually, being pregnant in the planting season isn’t so bad I’ve discovered! Alas, it doesn’t last forever, even though on days like today it seems as if it does! I know that we just observed Memorial day but I’m hoping for Labor Day real soon!
Last Saturday was beautiful, no rain, warm although a little breezy. The rain politley stayed away until the close of market! There were many folks out to see the new market. With music all morning and nine vendors, there was also plenty to see and do.
We started the morning off with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Then market Chairman Tony Christian rang the opening bell at 8 am sharp. The IHS Jazz band opened our performances for the day, followed by soloist Michelle Knopick, then the duo Colton & Zara who rounded out our playlist for the day.
With it still a bit early for produce locally, we had a great selection of other items and goods to choose from. Along with beef and pork products we had emu meat and products; baked goods; live plants-both flowers and veggies; soaps, herbs and jewelry [from yours truly]; and a few other fun items like pet products.
A steady stream of shoppers came through all morning. It was great to see such support from the local community especially the downtown business owners and Chamber members. I also recognized quite a few loyal customers from the Thursday market strolling through. Many of which stopped by to say Hi! It is always nice to see those familiar faces, especially within a new market setting.
Here’s looking forward to many, many more great market days downtown!
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- Farmers’ Market Banners by Pat’s Studio
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- After the ribbon cutting. Chamber Red Shirts.
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- Market Chairman Tony Christian rings the opening bell at 8 am.
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- The great IHS Jazz Band!
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- Soloist Michelle Knopick.
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- Colton & Zara
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- Yoder’s Baked goods and crafts booth.
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- Cross C Ranch’s booth
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- 4Star Emu Ranch’s booth
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- Lefever’s Plant Farm booth
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- Our youngest vendor with her paper crafts and jewelry. All ages are welcome at market!
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- Hannah spinning wool into yarn.
Locally Grown... because there's no place like home!
The Farmers’ Market in Historic Downtown Independence
kicks off the season this saturday!
Beginning at 8 am and lasting until 11:00 on Myrtle west of Penn Ave in beautiful downtown Independence. In addition to our great vendor line-up we have provided entertainment for your shoppping enjoyment. Starting at 8 with IHS Jazz Band. At 9 we’ll have Michelle Knopick, followed by Colton and Zara at 10.
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- Giant White Iris, came with the house
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- Lilac and white two toned. I either purchased or came from Vera’s collection.
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- Lavender Iris. Unknown origin.
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- Little yellow iris, I purchased these at a rummage sale!
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- Peachy bearded iris from my friend Theresa.
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- Old fashioned purple/blue iris, came with the house.
Several of our lovely iris are starting to pop open. We have a variety of colors and seasons, early-mid-late, to keep us in blooms for a few weeks anyways! Most of our iris have come from family and friends, the best kind of gift you know. Some I have purchased, and a few were here when we acquired the place.
Iris are my sister’s favorite flower. They rank high towards the top for me as well. They were also a favorite of our late “Granny Vera” my step-dad’s mother. She had so many iris plants that one could get lost in a field of blooms at the right time of year.
