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Organic foods showcased at Farmer’s Market

Andy Bockelman
James Allen, 16, of Niwot, plays the violin during Thursday Farmer’s Market at Alice Pleasant Park. James played as part of a duet with his grandfather, John Allen, on guitar during the event.
Shawn McHugh





James Allen, 16, of Niwot, plays the violin during Thursday Farmer’s Market at Alice Pleasant Park. James played as part of a duet with his grandfather, John Allen, on guitar during the event.
Shawn McHugh

Abigail Ditges, left, 15, of Hayden, and Elisabeth Parker, 20, of Shelby, N.C., look at a button during Thursday’s Farmer’s Market at Alice Pleasant Park in downtown Craig. Mary Walters, who makes all of the goods she offers, set up the booth for the event.Shawn McHugh

Jars of pickles, braided rugs, wooden knick-knacks.

Foods and crafts of all kinds could be seen Thursday afternoon at the Farmer’s Market at Alice Pleasant Park in downtown Craig.

Organized by the Downtown Business Association, the weekly summer event allows community members to sell their unique wares with an emphasis on the promotion of organic foods and materials. To be considered organic, foods must be grown within a 100-mile radius.



About a dozen tables from local vendors were set up for selling organic goods and homemade objects at Thursday’s event.

Among them was the trio of Jennifer Stagren, Kim Thomspon and Lorrae Moon. Standing alongside their array of homegrown vegetables were items like neckties of plaid, polka dots and other such patterns, as well as balls of yarn in a variety of colors.



Moon said her son, Rance, a sheep rancher, provides the wool for spinning and dyeing, while she sells it at locales including Farmer’s Markets in Hayden and Steamboat Springs and at Maybell’s Sombrero Ranch horse drive.

Also among the group’s materials up for sale were packages of their own homemade pasta, “Oodles of Noodles,” organic dog treats and wine jelly.

Moon said the group’s sales for Thursday had been great, nearly selling out their produce within the first hour after setting up their table.

“People around here love the opportunity to get organic food,” she said.

Moon added that despite the overcast sky that loomed over the park, the weather was much better than in previous years.

“There were a few times last year when we set up and we were just freezing,” she said.

In her third week selling at the market since its June 17 kickoff, fellow vendor Robin Bremner said she saw more business than she had the previous week, a fact she attributed to the Fourth of July holiday detracting customers.

A first-year vendor, Bremner sold T-shirts silk-screened with her own watercolor landscape paintings.

“It’s a nice community activity we’ve got here,” she said. “A lot of people in town come here just to see each other and socialize.”

Among the crowd were friends Skyler Leonard, 16, and Rose Howe, 14.

Howe helped with the setup for the market, while Leonard had his own plans. Carrying his ukulele with him, he said he hoped to be able to play for the crowd, although he expected to have to wait until a later date to arrange to get in the lineup for live music.

“It’s a really nice atmosphere to play in,” he said.

Other features of the Farmer’s Market included booths manned by members of the Friends of the Moffat County Libraries and the Humane Society of Moffat County.

Humane society vice president Ann Anderson had her table filled with canisters, each devoted to a different pet around town.

Submitted by local animal owners, the pictures — mostly of cats and dogs, but also smaller animals such as Midge the rabbit and Tobey the parrot — showcased the numerous candidates for the society’s 2011 Pet Mates Calendar.

People were able to vote for their favorite pet by donating money to that pet’s canister, with the top 12 earners being featured in the calendar.

The Farmer’s Market offered the final day for the voting, and Anderson said the group would count the total money earned over the weekend.

“It’s about the fourth or fifth year we’ve done this,” she said. “We earned more than $1,000 last year, and each year it sells a little better.”


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