Small Town News

Farmers Market begin season in Paxico, at Lake

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Overly abundant tomato patches or zucchini vines are a problem many gardeners hope to have each year.

This year several area groups are offering solutions to that problem, in the form of farmers' markets.

Several markets are taking place around the county, beginning with this month.

The Paxico Merchants' Association will kick off a farmer's market in downtown Paxico this Saturday, and they are inviting not only gardeners with extra produce, but also anyone who wants to sell baked goods, flowers, antiques or other items.

"We are encouraging locally grown products, and hoping many gardeners will have lots to sell," said Connie Lewis, a member of the merchants' association

Lewis said the idea came up in one of the merchants' meetings, and was mentioned by Vicki Jacobson, one of the local merchants. The market has been in the planning stages for the past few months.

"Everyone agreed this would be a way not only to showcase Paxico, but give vendors the opportunity to sell their wares with an existing audience," Lewis said.

The merchants are asking that, if possible, vendors pre-register for the day they would like and pay $8 to reserve their booth space ahead of time. Vendors also will need to bring their own table, and are invited to set up any time before 10 a.m. and stay as long as they would like.

"We plan to run the markets through the summer and September if the weather is good," Lewis said, adding that this includes accommodating vendors who register in advance at the Meat Loaf Festival in June and possibly at the Blues Festival in September.

For more information on the Paxico Farmers' Market or to reserve booth space, please call 785-636-8400, 636-5520 or 636-5426.

Further south, a market also began at Lake Wabaunsee earlier this month

The market is an offshoot of the Auburn Farmers' Market.

"There's a group of us who hold a farmer's market in Auburn. I've been doing the farmer's market in Auburn for two years," said Sheri Loveland, one of the coordinators of the market at the lake.

Loveland and a friend organized a market in the south parking lot of the North Shore Restaurant building, and have set up shop from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday since early May.

Loveland said she has branched out from produce and also is selling greenhouse plants such as hens and chickens, daylilies, tomatoes, cucumbers, flowers and hanging pots.

She said they have been working to contact people to bring eggs and they also hope to have hobbyists bring their goods out to sell.

Loveland said they are hoping the market will pick up as the season warms up and awareness increases.

"More people come in the summer for produce season," she said.

She said vendors are asked to pay $8 to reserve their space for the season, which will help offset advertising costs. She added that vendors will need to bring their own tables, tents or other booth items.

Loveland said the hope is to run the market each Friday from May through October



Copyright 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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