Farmer's Market Ceremonial Style

Not a truck-farm; a bike-farm this week

This past Saturday the Farmer's Market coincided with the Gallup's 89th Inter-Tribal Ceremonial parade in downtown Gallup. If you've never visited or lived in Gallup during ceremonial week, the event is really big deal with thousands and thousands of visitors in town.

Pickling Cucumbers, $3/lbs

The market manager Carole and Pete of Serendipity Farms gave me the heads up that usually Ceremonial weekend was an off-week for the market as road closures all around downtown make it hard for both customers and growers to get to the downtown walkway. Additionally, most people watching the parade are reluctant to buy produce and then carry it for hours in the midday heat before they reach home. Despite the warning, I and most other growers still braved the crowds and where set up much as any week.

Almost fully loaded at 70 lbs

The twist was how to get my dozen or so baskets of produce down there if the roads where closed starting at 6 am. I decided my trusty BOB trailer would suffice at transporting a much paired down harvest, and so I loaded it down with 70 lbs. of the more valuable by weight produce. Onions and beets stayed home. The select harvest included 30 lbs of zucchini, 20 lbs of pickling cucumbers, and 10 lbs. of rhubarb, leeks, shallots, mint and other herbs. My rolled-up table and bags surely brought the total weight up to around 80 lbs, and I gingerly made it south across the train tracks, and along the parade route to the market just as it opened at 8:30. Most regular customers stayed home as predicted, and I spent most of the day explaining what leeks are. Not the usual customer demographics. Yet with perseverance through the end of the parade and beyond (1:15), I finally came home with and empty trailer.

Gallup Farmers' Market Week 4

Gallup Farmers' Market

The Gallup Farmers' Market is in full swing now being the fourth week of the season, and the variety and quantity of produce continues to grow. The biggest thing right now is more customers are needed (I still managed to sell-out by 10 am, and grossed $130; $40 from WIC checks w/o promised price increases over previous weeks:)! The reason I mention the dollar total is that it represents a lot of food; imagine filling a grocery cart with $130 from the produce department.

My neighbors shopping at my stand

New additions this week included leeks from my garden (along with the dozen or so other varieties of produce i've listed in previous weeks' posts- I forgot collard greens, cilantro, and something else.), the most desired being pickling cucumbers, Santa Fe Grande and jalapeno peppers. Giant rutabaga, eggs, and greens were also for sale from Janet Butlers farm, JB Ranch. She generally arrives between 9:30 and 10.

Sid Gillson, again had a bountiful supply of perfect summer squash and zucchini.

Pete and Jan Douglass continue to bring amazing rhubarb, radishes, and fresh greens among other crops and the folks from Fort Defiances' Sunrise School, again have the most amazing french breakfast radishes-- absolutely perfectly sweet half-cream, half crimson spicy delights.

The heavy monsoon rains should bring a bountiful harvest to all the growers this year, yet the much anticipated tomato crop is growing only in anticipation; several more weeks before the love apples ripen. However, large plants and smart season extending should result in Sid Gillson and I (Sid's shared many of his 'secrets' with me:) bringing in a huge crop when they're finally ready; customers needed!

This weeks' recipes shared by customers at the market and elsewhere were:

Tomatillo, onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper powder salsa. blend it 'til the consistency of guacuamole

New potatoes and sauteed leeks with bacon; a thick thunderstorm soup

Summer squash, anyway and with anything!!

(If you have any I haven't mentioned please list it in a comment)

Psssht. Blog readers exclusive: the summer rains and better/smarter husbandry have brought on the largest flush of shiitake mushrooms I've every grown. Available next week from under the table for those that ask only! I'll take everything left home for myself if needed.) $, TBD. Ha, priceless.