Fall officially began this past Saturday, and tomorrow, Wednesday the 26th 3:30 – 7:00 pm, is the last Wallingford Farmers Market of the season at Meridian Park. Chef Dustin Ronspies of Art of the Table will be on hand for a cookie demo from 4 – 5 pm and the many bounties of our land will be display, for consumption on premises or off:
Now’s the time to start stocking up on storage crops, like potatoes, garlic and apples you keep in a cool, dark room, to things you can preserve and pickle in jars for later enjoyment like berries, cucumbers, cauliflower and tomatoes, to freezing peas, fresh shell beans, blueberries and more. The process is surprisingly easy and economical. Get it fresh and local now, and enjoy it all winter long!
If you end up making pickles, we’ll trade you for honey. Because pickles are just so good.
After moaning about the loss of the farmers’ market location at the Wallingford Center, and wishing for it to be reborn at the north Franklin parking area near the Familyworks offices, I finally made it up to the Meridian Park location last Wednesday. It was wonderful. Kids were running around, jumping rope, chasing balls and playing tag, families were picnicking, all kinds of people were leisurely milling about and the setting was beautiful. We had no trouble finding a parking spot on Meridian (walking is a problem for my husband) and there seemed to be enough coming and going to accomodate everyone. Lovely.
The seasonal schedule of this market illustrates the difference between the neighborhood markets and the weekend farmers markets in Ballard, University District, Capitol Hill.
Has the growing season ended? Not hardly! Things like tomatoes, peppers are in full swing, some crops like pears and winter squash are just beginning, and of course some hardy crops like kale are nearly year around here. Small farmers in this region absolutely need to be able to harvest, and of course sell, produce in October. The schedule, and really the existence altogether, of these farmers markets does not seem to be very much about the farmers.
Love the setting, breeze, lovely visuals, picnics on the grass, long may it wave!
BUT WAY TOO MANY OFF-LEASH DOGS running into the vendor area, all around, after or at least intrigued by little kids. Your dog is not cute and you saying it is friendly, has never bitten etc., means nothing . . . and the off-leash ones freak out the ones on leash.