New Portage Farmers Market!!

Portage begins monthly markets for farm goods

By KATHY MELLOTT
The Tribune-Democrat

Old-time flavor
What: Monthly farmers market.
When: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and June 20, July 18, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19.
Where: Site of the former Caldwell Avenue School on Main Street, Portage.
Information: portageboro.com

PORTAGE — Jim Kissell remembers a half-century ago when farmers and butchers from Claysburg, East Freedom and Blue Knob came down the mountain weekly to sell their goods door-to-door throughout Portage.

Those days are long gone, but Kissell, a longtime member of Borough Council, has taken the lead organizing a monthly farmers market that is set to begin Saturday.

“We used to buy right from the farmer, and we’re trying to provide a place where we can do something like that again,” Kissell said. 

Setup is free for farmers and nonprofits, but all vendors must register.

Other vendors – including those with flea market and garage sale items – can purchase a 10-foot-by-20-foot space for a flat fee of $25,

which covers the entire summer, Kissell said.

To date, three vendors have signed up for the first market on Saturday, said Michelle Claar, the borough secretary, who is handling registration and permits. 

Claar is directing interested vendors to the borough’s Web site, where details are available.

Kissell said the low response for the first market should turn around quickly as farmers and backyard gardeners begin to bring in their crops.

“Everything is slower than heck with this weather,” Kissell said.

“It’s early yet.”

Vendors must provide their own tables, have all items clearly priced and leave their sites cleaner than when they came, Kissell said.

No trash disposal will be available for the vendors, he said.

First Farmer's Market of 2009!

This morning I picked up my co-worker, and on the way to work took her to the Farmer's Market Downtown.  It was wonderful!  This year, a mini-farmer's market is beginning early, then to be follwed by the regular farmer's market.  This year, there are already new vendors!

Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, LLC--Great flavor from our grass-based farm direct to you!  Made from the raw milk of the Cows at Ojala Farm 

Sadly, I lost the card of the friendly people who were selling goat products (lotions, soaps, chapstick, etc), however, next week they will also be selling meats, goat, lamb, and (I want to say veal...?)  I will check with them again next week for a more full update.  I think I was in a hurry when I got my delicious cinnamon roll off to my car and out to work that I must have dropped it. But, someone else may be able to find them now, right?  Maybe those guys who are on strike that were near my building (no I did NOT cross the picket line, it was a different building).

Farmers Outlet Growing by Mike Faher
This article is about the Farmers Market this year, which started today.  (also listed below if removed from website.)

To market, to market
Johnstown's "mini" farmers market:
**Begins Friday (today) in Central Park.
**Runs every Friday through June 12 from 9am to 2 pm (NOTE: there is a discrepency in time within this article as to if it starts at 8 or 9am, but when I arrived at 9, vendors were already selling!)
**Five Vendors
Johnstown's regular Farmer's Market:
**Begins June 19 in Central Park
**Runs every Friday through Oct. 30 from 9am to 2pm
**10 vendors

Though the official start of summer is more than a month away, Johnstown's farmers market season will begin Friday.
     Officials have organized a series of "mini markets" in Central Park, starting at 8am every Friday through June 12.  That concept was introduced last year.  
     "It went really well (in 2008)," said Renee Daly, city economic development specialist.  "I think because we have the flower vendors, and this is the time most people are planting flowers."
     In addition to two flower vendors, the mini markets will feature booths selling fresh-baked goods, cheese and a new vendor peddling lotions, soaps, eggs and goat's meat.
     When the official market kicks off of June 19, those five vendors will be joined by five others selling honey and beeswax, fresh-cut flowers and fresh produce.  The market is sponsored by 1st Summit Bank.
     The 10 vendors--all set up along Gazebo Place and Main Street--will be the most the farmers market ever has hosted Daly said.
     "If we get any larger, we're just going to have to look at extending inside the park or looking for another location," she said.
     The city plans entertainmnet at the park's gazebo during several markets starting in June.
     And officials plan a new addition: Chef demonstrations that likely will begin in July.  Final details are not set.
     The idea, Daly said, is to have chefs purchase goods from the farmers market and then prepare dishes at the gazebo.
     "it's promoting not only the chefs but also the vendors," Daly said.

Independent Vendor Fair in Johnstown!

I have a lot of things come my way this morning that are local in one sense or another.  I stopped by the coffee shop (listed below at the Vendor Fair) and found a flier for the 1st Independent Vendor Fair on Saturday May 23rd from 11-4 PM at the Community Arts Center

Listed was:

Hilltop Soy Candles--Rebecca Gailey (locally made Soy Candles)
Longaberger Baskets--Connie Feathers
Tastefully Siimple--Alissa Cooper
Debs Floral and Weed Boutique--Deb Duca-Kormanik (Premier Flowers, Foliage and Plants)
Southern Living at Home--Sherry Kuhns (Decorating, Entertaining, Organizing)
Stampin' Up--Donna Meyers (A card and Scrapbooking supply company)
A Trunk Full of Blessings: Positive Image Skn Care Center (A showing of costume jewelry)
Undercover Spa Products--Beth Hunt
Watkins--Brenda Mills
Pampered Chef--Ellen Mostoller
Mary Kay--Jamie Rutledge
Village Street Cafe--Ben Gallagher (Stop by for a quick coffee/tea to make your shopping more enjoyable)
Auntie Em's Homebaked Goodies--Emily Burkhard

Mega Food Manufacturers go Local? (From Crunchy Chicken)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Crunchy Chicken's Awesome Blog Here

Mega food manufacturers go local? While many of us consider local food to be food grown within a certain range close to home, it also invokes the idea of sustainable agriculture, small, family farms and low environmental impact. Well, mainstream food manufacturing has started to co-opt the term "local", hoping to take advantage of this buzz word that has gained in popularity as consumers attempt to understand better where their food comes from. In other words, getting to know their producer by buying their food at farmers markets, local farm stands and the like.

When Frito-Lay and other mega manufacturers, who have more to do with junk food than sustainable agriculture, announced they were coming out with advertising campaigns to capitalize on this latest trend, many in the local food movement have been less than pleased. Sure, they are advertising the fact that the companies are buying produce and meat local to their manufacturing plants, the end result from the consumer's standpoint is anything but. Unless you happen to live near one of these mega-processors, those chips are still not going to be "local".

From their press release:
In addition to the national and regional television spots, the "Lay’s Local" campaign will be supported by a comprehensive marketing effort that celebrates the local connections of the brand through national print advertising, on-pack messaging and 40,000 in-store displays that are customized for each participating state to celebrate local connections and contributions to Lay's Potato Chips. The brand also will participate in more than 50 local-market events throughout the country celebrating the local communities that play a role in making Lay's Potato Chips.

On one hand, they are lowering the total food miles involved in the manufacturing process. Or are they? Based on Frito-Lay's press release it looks like they have changed little in the way of how they obtain their potatoes, they are just marketing the proximity of their source farms. They've made no changes in the way they grow the potatoes as far as I can tell either. Just another incidence of jumping on the bandwagon and beating the meaning out of it.

What do you think? Do you feel this is misrepresentation by greedy corporations or is this a step in the right direction to more sustainable food, by letting people know where the food source is located?

Posted by Crunchy Chicken at 8:00 PM

Miscellaneous

Sometimes it's worth it to look through the ads in the paper, even when you're not looking for a job.  I found this ad yesterday:

Tex's Hotdog Sauce--
Tex's Hotdog Sauce Mix.  Available at BiLo Foods Westwood Plaza. Great for cook outs or anytime!!!  www.texshotdogsauce.com

Upon going to the website, I found that it is from DuBois, PA, and you can also order it online through PayPal.