Provo Farmer's Market

After taking a vegetable gardening class at Thanksgiving Point in early March I thought, "I've got the space. Why don't I plant a few heirloom and roma tomato plants this year and take them to market." To market to market to sell whatever comes out of the ground! So 22 tomato plants later, including 1 tomatillo plant with a few jalapeño additions, I was off and running to see what I'd come up with at summer's end. September 6th it was off to market. I had 25 pounds of lovely pink Brandy Wine heirloom tomatoes, 19 pounds of Romas, 25 pounds of Celebrities, 6 pounds of little Juliet cherry tomatoes, 4 pounds of cherry, green tomatillos and to add a little picante...Jalapeños and Cayenne peppers. My little basil plant put out a few stems of basil that people snatched up and Ethan was in charge of the Lemonade of 25 cents a pop. Then there is the Salsa that everyone seemed to like. I was a crazy mess the day before, organizing babysitters (thank you Mary, The Watsons and Uncle Jonathan), Tomatoes, signs, and trucks and cars to haul all the tables, tents, baskets and produce. We were up bright an early Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. setting up our tent down at Provo Pioneer Park off Center St.

I had a wonderful time talking with the locals about gardening and organic bliss. I knew I had to do this again, but it was time to call in the authorities on real old fashion "Home Roots" decorum and style. "Mom, it's Melissa. It's time to pull that old antique door out of your garage and let 'er shine in the Provo sun. And do you have any old windowpanes? Bring whatever you've got!" Well I recieved about a dozen phone calls from my mom after I had called her reguarding props for next Saturday's farmers market. It was like talking to a giddy school girl, getting ready for the big play or dance. She had old cupboard doors, chairs, pans, thread, jars, spoons, etc... She was beside herself pulling out all of her antique treasures she's collected through the years, ready to give them new birth.

"Caroline, it's Melissa. You know you want to bring you kids down to my house Friday night and sleep over so you can be my master decorator for the Farmer's Market. Oh and Uncle Dan is going to come and sleep over too. No worries, there will be plenty of room." Well after the kids played to their hearts content and after Cline helped weigh in all of my cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds she snuggled up to Lauren in Ethan's twin bed. Ethan and Bridger were on the floor and Maille slept soundly in her own bed...never mind that it was about 10:30 p.m. before they all crashed. Dan and Aaron were still creating their salsa masterpiece at that hour and made enough to fill 8 tupperwares of delicious homegrown salsa...it all sold the next day. At about 12:30 a.m. Dan helped me glue on the last button to my little HR signs and we said, "Hasta mañana." And off to sleep we went.

The posse (Wild Bill, Two Step Tom, My Lover, SpiderDan and Piccadilly Cline all set off to set up our stand at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. I stayed at home to get the kids up and rolling then we took them to the park. When I arrived about an hour later the new and improved Home Roots Stand was gleeming. Of course Caroline worried about things not being how I wanted, but I just looked at Dan and said, "Would you ever doubt Caroline in setting up and making a corner of the world look absolutely fabulous? I think not." It looked divine and Cline and I had a great time selling tomatoes, nectarines, apples, carrots, zucchini, salsa, peppers, pickled beats and the coveted Pickled BEAN! Oh yes, we charged $10 a bottle for those babies and yes, people bought them. We had many visitors including Sweet Pickle Neen (Melissa's Mom) and Heather's kids. The kids had a wonderful time playing on the playground, strolling the market and indulging in mammoth sized cotton candy.

Many shoppers came by just to check out the fun display and to say that if ribbons were to be awarded at this market, ours would recieve the blue. I was just happy to have my family there enjoying in a conglomoration of green thumbs and creative ink. Cline and I were in serious need of R&R after all was said and done, but the journey was as sweet as peach pie and as tangy as a quart jar of Piccadilly Beans! Check this one off my list!

If you grow it, they will come. Thanks to all, and remember to GO GREEN!