Miami County Locally Grown:  Welcome to our Newest Vendor!!!

Welcome to Rosy Toes Design!

Lucy and Bill Chapman have been enthusiastic supporters of the Virtual Market since it opened in 2016, and now Lucy joins the market as our newest vendor, with the 100% wool dryer balls she designs and felts!

Coming from an artistic family of painters, potters, and tailors, Lucy was no stranger to creativity. After taking up knitting in college, she attempted her first felted project in 2002 when her oldest daughter was just a baby – and as she talked about that first pair of slippers, she laughed at how badly they turned out!

But she fell in love with taking everything she had hand-knitted, from socks and hats to rugs and bags, and carefully felting them with special barbed needles until the stitches completely disappeared, creating a product she could sell with a genuine life-time guarantee – remarkable to be that sure of your product!

Lucy says as soon as she attempted those early projects, she instantly “caught the bug”, as she practiced and grew to appreciate the balance of science and art, being exact yet creative. She relishes how the wool fiber was so totally unpredictable, it changed during the process until the resulting item looked entirely different than when it started. Not only might the texture change, but even the way the colors in the wool blend together, as was evident in the sturdy, colorful rug she showed me in her bright, cheery kitchen. And the size! Although many of her bags are a finished 8”x10”, they start out three times that size when she originally knits the piece… that is A LOT of fiber, especially when you realize it’s 100% wool!

What set her apart is her commitment to sourcing her wool locally. And her oft-used source for natural, lovely fiber? None other than our very own Dennis and Keba Hitzeman, who own and operate Innisfree on the Stillwater Farm in Pleasant Hill! Familiar faces on the Virtual Market with Dennis’ custom-roasted coffees and the pottery Keba throws, Innisfree is also home to several Shetland sheep who often supply both Keba and Lucy with the beautiful roving they transform into so many different creations!

Dryer balls are used to reduce the static caused by overdrying – and with a few drops of essential oils added, they also eliminate the want of a dryer sheet. But they’re even more multipurpose than that, as was proved by Grace, the 12 year old, four-legged Welcoming Committee who greeted me with one of Lucy’s felted balls in her mouth! I was ready to declare the thing indestructable as Grace went to town with her chew toy.

The plain wool balls are functional and pretty enough, but don’t hold a candle to the ones which Lucy painstakingly adds images – the sheep, goats and pigs would make the most darling mobile for a newborn, or toys for a young child, especially because they’re completely natural and non-toxic. And don’t get me started on the ladybugs and frogs she fashions, as I had to see them in person to appreciate how darling they really are!

When I had pulled up to the Chapman home, my immediate thought, as I battled an extreme case of Stone Porch Envy, was whoever lived in such a gorgeous example of workmanship should be creative – and I was not disappointed!

www.miamicounty.locallygrown.net!

Spa City Local Farm Market Co-op:  Reminder

Don’t forget that the Spa City Co-op market will close tonight (Tuesday) at 9 pm, so place your order before then if you haven’t already done so. And be sure to pick up your order on Friday between 3-4:30 or arrange someone to pick up for you during that time.

Many thanks for the two people that signed up to volunteer this week. Couldn’t do it without their help.

Karen Holcomb
Market Manager
501-282-6314
ksholcomb@gmail.com

Russellville Community Market:  Ordering Ends at 10pm! Prepare for Valentine's Day!

Russellville Community Market closes at 10 p.m. this evening
– be sure to place your order!

Valentine’s Day is next Wednesday, so this is your last opportunity to surprise your special sweetheart with the best local food that Russellville has to offer! Maybe a little tenderloin for two paired with purple hull peas, baked sweet potatoes, and fresh baked bread? Or perhaps a pork roast glazed with local honey or jam? Tempt them with any one of our decadent desserts or sweet breads! Who could resist?

Pick up is Thursday at All Saints Episcopal Church on Phoenix from 4 – 6:30 p.m.

Russellville Community Market

FRESH.LOCAL.ONLINE.

Dawson Local Harvest:  REMINDER! Dawson Local Harvest Market Closes @ 9pm!

Dawson Harvest for Feb. 9th

The Market at Dawson Harvest Closes at 9 pm!

But you still have plenty of time to place your order. How about Cheesecake Brownies, Beef Brisket, Duck Eggs, fresh-picked Spinach, or Greek Pasta Salad with feta & salami?

Get your Taste on with the fabulous all-natural flavors of Dawson Local Harvest!

Thanks, Alan, Market Manager

Homesteader's Market:  Homesteader's Market for Feb. 5th.

The Homesteader’s Market is open again for ordering. You can place orders for this Saturday’s market up to Thursday evening.

The Market provides a marketing and distribution platform for local, home-based enterprises to offer their food products and other household goods to South Cariboo residents.

Placing orders for pickup at the Saturday market is easy. Once you are signed in, simply select the items and quantities you wish to purchase and drop by the Market between 10:00am and 2:00pm to pick up your order.

Please contact the market manager at Howie@CaribooHomesteader.com or 250-644-1940 if you have any questions about any aspect of this market or the other Cariboo Homesteader services.

Champaign, OH:  Monday, Monday

Happy Monday evening!!

As we ease out of last night’s snowy, ice filled roads, and the Super Bowl, we are now at Monday evening, looking ahead for the week.

Your market manager has just poured a glass of wine, and is perusing her market order…it’s the perfect kind of evening for you to do the same!!

Shop in comfort, in local ease, in nutritional excitement!!

We are here, and the vendors would love you to throw them some love!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

GFM :  SPOTLIGHT VENDOR OF THE WEEK

SPOTLIGHT VENDOR OF THE WEEK
“Buzzard Roost Creations”

Buzzard Roost Creations is a family owned business that produces hand crafted and hand framed art, owned and operated by Judy and Raymond Tolman.

An author as well as artist, Buzzard Roost Creations is offering “The Family at Serpientes,” the first of the Serpent Trilogy, a fictional book about a young girl from Camp Creek, Tennessee who finds herself in New Mexico as a member of a family of historical detectives. Several books are currently being published such as a non- fiction book, “Southwestern Meanderings,” a non-fictional book about the Southwest and Explorations into the Lost State of Franklin, is currently being published by Sunstone Publishing of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Judy was born and raised in Greene county Tennessee. A graduate of Greeneville High School she attended college at Carson Neuman and ETSU. After teaching Special Education for several years she became a Regional Consultant for SRA-McGraw Hill. She now takes care of the required business operations. Raymond, who is the author as well as an artist, grew up in New Mexico where he taught science for several years before moving to East Tennessee. During his youth in New Mexico, he was an avid hiker, hunter, speleologist and river runner which has had a profound impact on his writing and art.

Suwanee Whole Life Co-op:  Volunteer Needed this Wednesday for 3 - 4 pm shift

Hi Everyone! We need a Volunteer this Wednesday at pick up for the 3pm slot.

If you can help out during this time please click this link to sign up http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a44aea623a7fa7-volunteer

Thank you!
Nora

Spa City Local Farm Market Co-op:  Volunteer needed

As of Monday, there is nobody signed up to volunteer for this Friday, Feb. 9th.

I can’t do this alone, people! If no one signs up to volunteer by the market closing on Tuesday night, I will be forced to cancel the market.

This market helps local farmers to get through the winter, so I hope, for their sakes at least, that at least one person will give us a few hours on Friday.

Karen Holcomb
Market Manager

Siloam Springs, AR:  Online Market is Open!!

www.siloamsprings.locallygrown.net

It has been so nice to have fresh lettuce available for the past two weeks. Cabbage is on the way and I’m hoping for spinach and kale too.

Opossum Hollow Produce has started their flower seeds as well. They will go into the ground soon and we will have beautiful flowers available at the market this spring.

R Family Farm still has chicken available as well as pastured pork, grass fed beef, and pet food.

Payne Farm and R Family Farm have kept us well supplied with eggs this winter.

There is honey, all natural products for your home, knitted and crocheted kitchen items, and Lefse. Don’t forget to check out the amazing locally roasted coffee from Bad Dog Beanery!

Enjoy shopping this week and see you Saturday!