posted Aug 23, 2012, 3:56 PM by Unknown user
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updated Aug 23, 2012, 3:58 PM
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We recently spoke with Zhen Xiong of Sidewalk Floral & Produce ( He and his family have been with the market providing great fresh produce and beautiful fragrant flowers for the last 10 years since the very beginning of the market.)
Here is what Zhen had to say about being part of the Liberty Lake Farmer Market. Q: You
have been with the market from the beginning what made you decide to join a
brand new market?
Zhen: No
one knew that someday this market will be this big. However, sometime you
have to trust your gut feeling and go for it. Anything is possible.
But w/o the founder’s leader ship we are NOT what we are today. many
markets started and never make it to their 1st
year anniversary.
Q: Have you been to other markets? If so what makes Liberty Lake unique?
Zhen: Yes we did. liberty lake farmer’s market, everyone is friendly and it
is very organized and have very clear vision for future grow.
Q: You
have beautiful arrangements, Do you have a favorite flower?
Zhen:Yes, we do. Our favorite flowers are Dahlias
Q: How
do you decide on which flowers to grow each year? Are there customer favorites?
Zhen: We have planned and selected what flowers to grow accordingly to what
season. Normally we started to do our search a few months after farmer’s
market season’s over. We believed most customer love dahlia also.
Q: Where would you like the market to be in 5 years?
Zhen: we
would like to hear people talking proudly all over the town that Liberty Lake
Farmer’s Market is the most beautiful and biggest farmer’s market in the area. |
posted Aug 7, 2012, 7:07 PM by Unknown user
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updated Aug 23, 2012, 4:42 PM
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Here's whats fresh for the second weekend in August Peaches, Zuchinni, Eggplant, Melons, Huckle berries, Onions and more. Come out the market to find out what else. Here is a great recipe for Peach Cobbler from Souther Living. Try making it for dessert with some delicious peaches from the farmers Market.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
4 cups fresh peach slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Preparation
Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living |
posted Jul 26, 2012, 1:27 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 26, 2012, 1:28 PM
]
Here is what is fresh this Festivale Italiano weekend: huckleberries, cucumbers, peas, melons, beets, lettuce, carrots, fresh herbs, & baby potatoes.
Here is a Great Huckleberry Crumble recipe to enjoy with your fresh huckleberries you bought from the Market
preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a bowl combine:
4-5 cups of huckleberries
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
Place huckleberry mixture in a 9 x11 dish (glass or ceramic work best.)
cut up 2 T of butter and place around dish on top of berries.
In a bowl:
1/2cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
4-5T cold butter
With your fingers combine these ingredients. Put this mixture on top of the berry
mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until crumble is browned. |
posted Jul 26, 2012, 12:05 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 26, 2012, 1:12 PM
]
We recently talked with Silvia Gnotta of Silvia Designs (a jewelry artisan that has been a vendor of the Liberty Lake Farmers Market from the beginning of the market)
Here are her answers on her take on being part of this great local organization. Q: You have been with the Liberty Lake Farmer Market from the very beginning, why did you decide to join the new market? Silvia: I started with the market in the beginning. The year before I had broken my leg and ankle, and that is how I got into jewelry making, I'm just not good at sitting around. I needed something were sit, so doing something creative was right up my alley. I participated in a market before and it sounded like fun. I had recently read in the newspaper about the LLFM. The location was just right and Liberty Lake is a nice little community. So here I am and I love it!
Q: You sell amazing jewelry. What style trends have you noticed over the years? Silvia: It has gone from traditional to large pieces to funky and everything inbetween. A great outlet for unique pieces.
Q: Where would you like to see the market in 5 years? Silvia: A BETTER ECONOMY! Things are tough for just about everybody. It is such a fantastic market and it would be great to draw people from a large area and more tourists.
Q: Other than in number of vendors how has the market changed over the years? Silvia: It has changed from a shoestring operation ( I really loved the "early days") into a vibrant gathering place with very friendly and personable vendors and great customers. It's not unusual to form real relationships with vendors and customers. |
posted Jul 8, 2012, 6:46 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 8, 2012, 6:47 PM
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Take advantage of the great rhubarb available at the market. Here is a great sauce to eat with ice cream or to put over angel food cake. It is yummy even alone with a little cream!
Shanna's Famous Rhubarb Sauce 4 cups sliced rhubarb 1/2 - 3/4 package (strawberry) JELLO 3/4 C. water 3/4 C. sugar
Mix JELLO with sugar Cook rhubarb in the water covered in the microwave until water boils. Stir until rhubarb is soft and mushy. Add JELLO and sugar, mix Bring to a boil again Let cool.
Rhubarb fun factDid you know rhubarb was brought to the popularity in the U.S. by an unnamed Maine gardener. He had obtained a seed or root stock from Europe in the early 1800's.
The Rhubarb Compendium www.rhubarbinfo.com |
posted Jul 8, 2012, 6:09 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 8, 2012, 6:14 PM
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Patricia Mattson of The Herb Garden
We have been talking with vendors at our market to get to know them better. We talked with the Herb Garden recently. Q: You sell herb and vegetable plants. Why plants?Patricia: From the beginning, I have grown plants that interest me. I was fascinated with plants offering us culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, etc, uses to enhance our lives. As word spread of my rare & unusual plant collecting passion, others wanted to grow some also. So in 1989, I started The Herb Garden. I thought I would help pay for my ' growing habit', and water bill.
Q: Have you seen plant trends over the years?
Patricia: I was one of the first in Spokane to offer Heirloom Vegetables. They were very slow to catch on. Now they are one of the most popular segments across the nation for the home gardener. The trend I see now- more people want to grow their own food & herbs. They want to have healthy food- and to know what is in it. Also financially it makes sense as household budgets are getting crunched. Some folks are already putting in Victory type gardens. We are in the process of re-doing our yard into an 'Edibles & Usefuls Landscape'. Many plants are showy, and will also give you a payoff for the kitchen.
Q: You have been with the Liberty Lake Farmers market from the beginning. Having done other markets why take a chance on an up and coming market.
Patricia: We had done 2 other farmers markets in downtown Spokane prior to the LLFM. The first was geared more for tourism than the farmer/grower. The second geared directly for the farmer/grower but location and organizing pains frustrated me. The positives that drew me to take a chance on LLFM- it was in a neighborhood & family oriented community, Jim Franks had a strong vision & experience, which made it a market I wanted to be part of, and I thought Liberty Lake would like my more unusual products.
Q: Where do you see the market in five years? Patricia: I believe the LLFM will continue to be a popular Saturday morning mainstay with the community. Even if the location changes for construction or a move to accommodate more vendors and larger market happens down the rode. Liberty Lake has a farmers market that many other community's dream of, and the LLFM has community support that other farmers markets envy. |
posted Jul 8, 2012, 5:32 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 8, 2012, 6:15 PM
]
You know it’s there, but do you know what it takes for it to be there?
If you happen to drive down Meadowwood Lane at 6:59 on a Saturday during Market
Season you would see and empty street and parking lot. But by 7am things begin to
happen. You would find cars, trucks and trailers pulling up and being greeted by Holli
the Market manager with a cheery Hello! Lenny from Jalenpeno Heavan starts up his
grill and preps his meats for a day of great tacos and burrito’s. Veraci Pizza cuts
firewood to heat up his oven so it will be hot enough for that first pizza sale. The Herb
Garden rolls out of a big trailer cart of wonderful edible plants. David from Suzie David
Farms sets his tables and tents up with one of his cute granddaughters and puts out his
sign shaped like a pig. The Xiong Family is busy putting water in vases for all their
beautiful flowers to sell. All the vendors are busy putting up there tents and tables and
setting out there wares.
Really, the busiest worker on Saturday morning is John Glen ( no not the astronaut). But he is a hero to us. John is one of the first to show up, he puts out all the tables and
chairs, posts all the signs, sets out the garbage bags and sets up our information tent.
Then four hours later he puts it all back into our storage room in the back of the building.
It’s hard, heavy work and John does it every week rain or shine with a smile. He is a
treasure to have working for us and for you. |
posted Jun 11, 2012, 8:01 PM by Unknown user
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updated Jun 11, 2012, 9:16 PM
]
Read An Interview with Paul & Sue Puhek One of the Original Vendors
Q. You have been a vendor with the market since the beginning, why did you
decide to join a brand new market?
Paul & Susan: Our children were grown up and we found ourselves with a lot of extras. The Liberty
Lake Farmers Market is close to us.
Q. Why farming? Has this always been a “calling” for you?
Paul & Susan: It is a family tradition with both our families. (Paul): I started at 14 with 2 acres of
corn. So it is in the blood.
Q.You sell eggs and produce. You had a big endorsement on your eggs this year
can you tell us about it?
Paul & Susan: Our eggs are now Animal Welfare approved. This is a process we were able to finish
this year.
Q. There is an old saying in the Spokane area that you donʼt plant until the snow
is off Mica Peak. What is the reasoning behind that?
Paul & Susan: The thought was that if the snow is melted of the mountains then it was safe to plant
because there would be no frost at night.
Q. Is there any validity to this saying anymore?
Paul & Susan: There is no hard and fast rule. If there no frost at night it is safe to plant.
Q. When is the best time to plant?
Paul & Susan: April 1st fro the early crops like cabbage, carrots, beet, peas. After May 15th for late
crops like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and squash. This, of course, will depend on the
weather for the year.
Q. Where would you like to see the market in 5 years?
Paul & Susan: It would be nice to see the market grow to 100 vendors. With half of those vendors
being local small farms.
Q. For a the first time small home garden what would you recommend?
Paul & Susan: You should always grow what you like. Beyond that the easier crops to grow are
squash, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, beets.
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW PAUL & SUE OF S&P HOMESTEAD FARMS ON FACEBOOK |
posted May 30, 2012, 9:11 PM by Unknown user
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updated May 30, 2012, 9:11 PM
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Come get your strawberries & cherries they are now in season.
Buy some juicy strawberries from Aichele Farms to enjoy with a strawberry shortcake desert after a BBQ, or get some suculant cherries from Pacific Produce for a good healthy sweet snack.
How many different varieties of cherries are there?
Worldwide there are hundreds of varieties, three are the most prevalent are Bing, Rainer and Royal Anne.
How Do I find the best cherries?
Choose firm fruit with deep color. avoid bruised or soft fruit.
How do I store my cherries?
Unwashed fruit should be able to keep in your refrigerator for up to a week. Be sure to wash right before eating as water can cause the cherry to soften and split. |
posted May 30, 2012, 7:46 PM by Unknown user
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updated May 30, 2012, 8:36 PM
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The Liberty Lake Wine Cellars The Liberty Lake Farmers Market and Liberty Lake Wine Cellars were chosen to participate in a statewide pilot tasting program. The LLFM is only one of ten markets in the state chosen to participate. “This pilot is another avenue for Washington’s breweries and wineries to educate customers about their products,” said Sharon Foster, WSLCB Chair. “Because farmers markets take place in a community setting, there are safeguards in place to ensure tastings are conducted with public safety in mind.” The pilot program is a result of Substitute House Bill 1172, and is scheduled to run from September 1, 2011 to November 1, 2012. 47 wineries and 4 breweries qualified to participate, though only one brewery, microbrewery or winery may offer samples per day. Story acknowledgement from:www.mutineermagazine.com/ |
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