WellCommons

This week, local strawberries will be showing up at farmers market booths all across town for the first time this season! by Linda Cottin

It’s Strawberry Time!!!!! The much awaited spring gardening delicacy has finally arrived. This year’s extended cold weather, coupled with a lack of sunny days, delayed the local strawberry season by almost an entire month. The good news is, the wait is over and local strawberries are beginning to ripen. Wohletz Farm, along with other local farmers, will be hauling their first supply of fresh picked strawberries to area farmers markets this week. Lucky market patrons will be able to pick up a pint or two Wednesday, May 22 at the Clinton Parkway Nursery Farmers Market, 4900 Clinton Parkway, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm and on Thursday, May 23 at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market, 1832 Massachusetts, from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm and again on Saturday, May 25 at Downtown Lawrence Farmers, 824 New Hampshire Street, Market from 7:00 am – 11:00 am.

“Fragaria × ananassa, commonly known as strawberry or garden strawberry, is a hybrid species that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness.” Wikipedia by Linda Cottin

Strawberries are a great anti-oxidant and are very low in saturated fat and sodium. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, manganese and potassium. More importantly, fresh picked strawberries are delicious!

Once a year - there is nothing wrong with serving strawberry shortcake for dinner. Especially if it is made with fresh picked strawberries and homemade short cake! by Linda Cottin

Start a new family tradition this year and serve Strawberry Shortcake for dinner! Make it extra special by serving it with fresh baked shortcake (also available at your local farmers market) and top it with whipped cream or ice cream made from local Iwig Dairy cream.
Strawberries, ice cream and fresh baked local short cake will all be available at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market on Thursday along with some delicious strawberry scones from The Yeast We Can Do. Keep your eyes open for more local products made with fresh local strawberries in the weeks to come from several Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market vendors.

Carrots, radishes and lots of local greens are will be available this week at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Aside from fresh strawberries, short cake and Iwig Dairy ice cream, Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market vendors will have a wide array of local produce and fresh bake goods, including many gluten free selections. Many farmers will have another week’s worth of tender asparagus and several booths will be overflowing with fresh picked greens, lettuces, radishes, turnips, carrots and mushrooms. Fresh Picked, with Steve Mason, Lauralyn Bodle, Lisa Grossman and Matt Kirby will provide music for the event and Mister Bacon BBQ will be on hand serving up pulled pork sandwiches, chick pies and pig pies. Of course, Free State Brewing will be there to pour a cold one for the 21 and over crowd too.

Seasonal greens are abundant at local farmers markets this spring. by Linda Cottin

This Thursday will be the final day of the “You Name the Price” Benefit Sale during Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market. Over a thousand dollars worth of new merchandise will be offered. Choose what you want and pay what you like. All proceeds will go to benefit Central Garden located at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School in Lawrence. The money raised from the sale of Cottin’s merchandise, will support the garden’s summer program. The Central program is open to all Liberty Memorial Central Middle School students – including new 2013 -14 students as well. Beginning Tuesday, May 28, 2013 students will meet in the garden each week, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Stop by and join the fun anytime – no helping hand will ever be turned away!

Central Garden is located at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School in Lawrence. by Linda Cottin

Next week Cottin’s Hardware & Rental will kick off their Grand Re-opening event during the farmers market. Make a purchase from any one of the vendors at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market and receive a $5.00 certificate, good toward any purchase inside the store on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Cordley Elementary School Chess Club will return with public chess tables at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market next week - May 30, 2013. by Linda Cottin

The Cordley Elementary School chess club members will return for the summer next Thursday. Public chess tables will be set up down the center of the market arena and everyone is welcome to play. Last season hundreds of community members turned out to watch or play chess at the market, along with members from more than a dozen area chess clubs.

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market is held every Thursday through October in the back parking lot of Cottin's Hardware & Rental. by Linda Cottin

Come join the fun Thursday, May 23, 2013 at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market. This week’s vendors include:

Avery's Produce - Seasonal vegetables including – Asparagus, spinach, red Russian kale, Pac Choy, greens, radishes, turnips, onions and more

Mellowfields Urban Farm – Lettuce, greens, radishes and more – sustainably grown less than 100’ from their market space!

Stony Ridge Farm – Farm fresh eggs, jams, jellies, gluten free bake goods, sweet breads, local honey, 100% grass fed beef and short cake!

Wohletz Farm – Fresh picked strawberries

Kroeger Country Meats - A variety of locally made pork sausages and their tasty beef jerky.

Upward Spiral – Pizza crusts, breads and more

Sophia's Herbs – Dried herbs and teas

Lamborn Farm – Grass fed beef and pasture raised pork

Valley View Farm – Farm fresh eggs, free range roasting chickens and lots of greens

Nut Nation – Locally roasted pistachios and seasoning rubs

Mr. Bacon BBQ – Pull pork, Pig Pie, Chick Pie and more

Free State Brewing – Locally brewed hand crafted beers

Wakarusa Valley Farm – Mushrooms, salad mix, carrots, radishes and other seasonal produce

Cook's BBQ – Pork skins, canned peppers, peanut brittle and more

Pinwheel Farm – Lamb, wool products and seasonal produce

Johannes Family Farm – Organic grains, several varieties of seasonal greens and more

Fieldstone Farm – Fresh picked asparagus

Queen of Tarts Bakery - Notting Hill brownies, scones, sweet breads and strawberry white chocolate tarts

Coal Creek Farm - Pasture raised pork, vanilla extracts, asparagus and more

The Yeast We Can Do - Fresh baked goods including Wohletz strawberry scones, sweet breads, caramel corn, pies, gluten free bake goods, jams, local produce and more

Jennifer's Maude & Mary Cookies - Artisan cookies using local ingredients and sprouted grains with gluten free and vegan varieties

Vinland Valley Nursery - Locally grown live plants including herbs, flowers, vegetable starts and ornamental items. Vinland Valley’s plants are also available daily at Cottin’s Hardware & Rental throughout the month of May!

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is located in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS. The market runs Thursdays, through October from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Authorized market vendors accept SFMNP coupons, WIC vouchers. Vision cards and credit cards are also accepted. Shoppers can swipe their cards inside Cottin’s Hardware & Rental during regular business hours in exchange for wooden Market Tokens. These tokens may then be used to purchase items from any market vendor. Credit card purchases are subject to a $1 service fee and must be made in $5 increments.

With fresh ingredients from your local farmers market it is easy to make even the simplest of meals special. by Linda Cottin

On Friday, May 10, Micahel Pollan spoke about his new book “Cooked” at the Unity Temple in Kansas City. Several folks from Lawrence were lucky enough to be in attendance. The book is, for all practical purposes, the third in a series of writings on one of our nation’s favorite subjects – food. Pollan swept the country with his diary like travel log “The Omnivores Dilemma” where he sets off in search of the perfect meal, testing the waters of four specific genres of food – Industrial, Organic, Gatherer and Hunter. His booked “Cooked” travels along a similar path, exploring the realm of cooking in his own kitchen and in other kitchens across the continent.

In Kansas City Pollan read an excerpt from his book detailing a special family dinner where he and his son ventured off to the grocery store to select individual microwavable meals for each family member to feast on. As the story unfolds, Pollan discovers that microwaving meals for a family of three makes it impossible for everyone to sit down and eat together. The meal took a total of 37 minutes to prepare and cost a total of $27. He points out this same amount of money could have been spent at any farmers market purchasing enough locally grown meat and fresh seasonal vegetables to feed twice as many people. The locally purchased meal could have easily been cooked in less time and most likely would have been a whole lot tastier to devour.

Even the most inexperienced cooks can make wonderful meals with fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. by Linda Cottin

Pollan understands the importance of local food and the benefits communities and families receive when there is a strong, sustainable food system in place. In more than one of his books Pollan points to the local farmer as the potential savior of our health, our economy and our overall well being. In his talk on Friday, Pollan drove home the need for year round farmers markets. He explained that the only way to achieve year round local food production was through the support of our farmers and area farmers markets. It is only through strong spring and summer sales and positive interactions with market patrons that farmers will be in a position to take on the somewhat uncharted territory of year round food production.

Lawrence and Kansas City are both blessed with a strong and growing local food culture. Farmers struggling from season to season are filled with hope as patrons turn out in droves during the summer farmers markets. After his speech, but before the night was over, Pollan was surprised and delighted to hear that both Kansas City and Lawrence, KS already have year round farmers markets. The Bad Seed in Kansas City and Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market in Lawrence both offer year round venues for farmers to share their bounty with community members. Ideally, as patronage at the markets increases, farmers will gain the confidence and the resources to grow more and to grow longer.

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market indoor season has come to an end and their outdoor season is ramping up into full swing. The cool rainy weather has delayed the majority of crops this season, but talented farmers are boasting a variety of fresh seasonal greens, radishes, onions, turnips, lettuces, mushrooms and asparagus. Morel mushrooms have been bountiful this year and though the asparagus has not yet hit its full stride, many tasty stems have been trickling into the farmers market.

Kroeger Country Market sells their locally produced sausages, jerky and other meats at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

While patrons wait for late spring and summer crops, including the much anticipated strawberries, followed by that much heralded first tomato of the season, they can feast on a wide variety of humanely raised, local meats as well as fresh produce. From freshly harvested chickens to aged and cured sausages, Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market has a wide selection to choose from.

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If cooking is not your strong point, the farmers market is a great place to learn about some of the easiest, full proof methods for preparing any product the farmers have to offer. The beauty of purchasing produce directly from the farmer, aside from its guaranteed freshness, is the fact that farmers eat what they grow and they typically do not have a lot of time to spare in the kitchen. Most farmers are great cooks, possessing a wide variety of quick and easy recipes to turn even the simplest of ingredients into a delectable and satisfying entrée. Talk to your farmer and ask them about their favorite way to prepare what they are selling. You will be surprised at how simple it is to make a delectable dish from produce purchased at your local farmers market.

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is held every Thursday in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental at 1832 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. The market runs from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm and hosts 20 – 24 vendors. Through the month of May Mr. Bacon BBQ will be serving up his delicious pulled pork sandwiches, as well as his highly popular Pig Pie and Chick Pie. Free State Brewing Company will be on hand pouring several varieties of their locally brewed spirits. Thursday, May 16, roving troubadour L.A. Fahy will provide entertainment and music for market patrons and vendors alike.

Support your local farmers; shop your local farmers market – now and throughout the year.

Avery's Produce can be found year round at several area markets including Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market offers something for everyone! by Linda Cottin

It’s Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market time!!!! Of course Cottin’s Hardware & Rental hosts an indoor market through the winter, but there is just something to be said about an open air farmers market bustling with neighbors, farmers, musicians and, in the case of Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market , Free State Beer!

Radishes are in season once again at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market! by Linda Cottin

Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 4:00 pm the Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market outdoor season will officially begin. As in the past there will be a host of local producers accompanied by a hot food vendor (Mr, Bacon BBQ), Free State Brewing Company and incredible local musicians. The Thursday May 9th market will be filled with music by the fun and exciting sounds of 40 Watt Dreams -featuring Katie West of Truck Stop Honeymoon. There is no better place to relax and enjoy the slowly escalating pace of spring than at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market.

This week’s market will host 20 local vendors, several of who are new to the farmers market scene. The long lasting cold weather and wonderfully welcomed rain has delayed the sprouting of fresh produce in the area, but the latest rash of sunny days has all but guaranteed the farmers selections will not disappoint. Spinach, Kale, lettuces, greens, radishes, mushrooms and onions are all ready for harvest as well as some asparagus and possibly a few early strawberries.

Lettuce and Greens Abound at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market! by Linda Cottin

For those of you who regularly shop at Cottin’s Hardware & Rental you are all but too aware that the store has recently completed a major renovation, inside and out. The process of re-arranging and re-merchandising every inch of the store, though daunting, was well worth it. All the rearranging and expanding of core department selections has left Cottin’s with a plethora of merchandise that they simply could not fit into their new floor plan. In an effort to put the construction phase behind them and as a service to the local community, Cottin’s Hardware & Rental has decided to host a “You Name the Price” Benefit sale. During the month of May the center of the Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market will be lined with tables filled with old and new merchandise. Take anything and everything you want, name your own price and then donate that money to Central Garden! Central Garden is a student and faculty run garden project located at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School on the corner of 14th and Massachusetts Street. The money raised from the sale of Cottin’s merchandise will support the garden’s summer program. Excess proceeds will be shared with other school garden projects.

The Central program is open to all Liberty Memorial Central Middle School students – including new 2013 -14 students as well. The Central Garden program is structured to teach students the pleasures and benefits of healthy food choices through the practice and knowledge of sustainable gardening practices. Students are exposed to all facets of the growing process, from garden prep, to seed starting, weeding, harvesting and best of all – eating. Garden produce is offered to the students through the school’s cafeteria during the school year. Produce harvested throughout the summer is sold by the students at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market, allowing students to learn important lessons in marketing, business and finance. Community members are also encouraged to participate in Central Garden activities throughout the year – no helping hand will ever be turned away! Students meet in the garden after school every Monday and Thursday through the end of the school year. Once school is out, the summer work schedule begins. Check with the students at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market for more information on their activities and scheduled work days.

Meanwhile, come join the fun Thursday, May 9, 2013 at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market. This week’s vendors will include:

Central Garden – No produce yet, but they will be there selling pickets and answering questions….

Avery's Produce - Seasonal vegetables including – Spinach, red Russian kale, Pac Choy, greens, radishes, turnips, onions and more

Mellowfields Urban Farm – Lettuce, greens, radishes and more – sustainably grown less than 100’ from their market space!

Stony Ridge Farm – Farm fresh eggs, jams, jellies, gluten free bake goods, sweet breads, local honey, 100% grass fed beef and more

Kroeger Country Meats - A variety of homemade pork sausages and homemade beef jerky.

Upward Spiral – Pizza crusts, breads and more

Lamborn Farm – Grass fed beef and pasture raised pork

Valley View Farm – Farm fresh eggs and free range roasting chickens

Nut Nation – Locally roasted pistachios and seasoning rubs

Mr. Bacon BBQ – Pull pork, Pig Pie, Chick Pie and more

Free State Brewing – Locally brewed hand crafted beers

Wakarusa Valley Farm – Mushrooms, salad mix and other seasonal produce

Cook's BBQ – Pork skins, canned peppers, peanut brittle and more

Pinwheel Farm – Lamb, wool products and seasonal produce

Johannes Family Farm – Organic grains, seasonal produce and more

Cole Creek Farm - Pasture raised pork, vanilla extracts, veggies and more.

The Yeast We Can Do - Fresh baked goods including scones, sweet breads, caramel corn, pies, gluten free bake goods, jams, local produce and more

Jennifer's Maude & Mary Cookies - Artisan cookies using local ingredients, sprouted grains, and offers gluten free and vegan varieties

Vinland Valley Nursery - Locally grown live plants including herbs, flowers, vegetable starts and ornamental items. Vinland Valley’s plants will be available daily at Cottin’s Hardware & Rental throughout the month of May!

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Thursdays, 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm by Linda Cottin

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is located in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS. The market runs Thursdays, through October from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Authorized market vendors accept SFMNP coupons and WIC vouchers. Vision cards and credit cards are also accepted. Shoppers can swipe their cards inside Cottin’s Hardware & Rental during regular business hours in exchange for wooden Market Tokens. These tokens may then be used to purchase items from any market vendor. Credit card purchases are subject to a $1 service fee and must be made in $5 increments.

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors! will be on Tuesday this week, instead of Thursday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. by Linda Cottin

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market will be held this Tuesday, November 20, 2012 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Stony Ridge Farm will have fresh eggs, jams, jellies, sweet breads, gluten free bake goods, grass finished beef and local honey. Avery’s Produce will have a bounty of fresh produce including sweet potatoes, radishes, turnips, Napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, chard, arugula and more. Valley View Farm will have fresh mustard greens, Asian greens, arugula, radishes, sweet potatoes, lettuces, and a live chicken just for the fun of it. Martin Farms will have local walnuts, local pecans, and fresh baked pies. The market is usually held every Thursday from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm inside Cottin’s Hardware & Rental at 1832 Massachusetts Street, but since Cottin’s Hardware will be closed this Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday, the farmers will be on hand Tuesday, just in time for everyone’s last minute holiday dinner shopping. So serve up a little local fare at your Thanksgiving dinner this year, compliments of Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market!

Fresh local produce - just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market! by Linda Cottin

Fresh local food is available throughout the winter at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors! by Linda Cottin

It's just a little thing... buying fresh produce from your local farmer in the dead of winter, but for some people, it is the thing that dreams are made of. For the second year in a row, Cottin's Hardware & Rental is helping make those dreams come true. Starting this Thursday, November 1, 2012, Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market will move inside Cottin's Hardware & Rental, creating the small but efficient Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors! The market runs November through April, Thursdays, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm.

Space has always been a challenge for the Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors! and this year will prove to be even more challenging. Cottin's Hardware & Rental has begun a very major remodeling project and extra floor space will be at a premium throughout the winter months. Plans include all new lighting, all new store fixtures and a large influx of new merchandise. Much of Cottin's existing stock is being closed out and incredible deals on merchandise from all departments can be found daily. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-February, just in time for the early spring season.

Meanwhile, more local farmers have extended their growing season with hoop houses, green houses and increased production of storage crops. Several have signed up to participate in Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market – Indoors!, in hopes of providing Lawrence residents a viable source of local food year round. Cottin's will do it's best to create an adequate space each week for both farmers and patrons. Chances are good the venue will be a little different week to week and finding the market inside the hardware store may slightly resemble a game of hide and seek at times. Regardless of exact location and size, rest assured, there will be farmers and food each week at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors!

This week's vendors include:

Stony Ridge Farm - Farm fresh eggs, jams, jellies, honey, bake goods and grass fed ground beef.

Avery's Produce - Fresh, local produce including winter squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, turnips, peppers, kale, Asian greens, and more.

Two Sister's Farm - Fresh, local lettuces and greens including, bib lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and arugula.

Valley View Farm – Fresh greens including mustard greens, turnips greens, lettuce, arugula and more.

Wakarusa Farm – Fresh local produce including mushrooms, radishes, and more.

The elusive and intriguing black radish can be found from Avery's Produce at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market - Indoors by Linda Cottin

Additional vendors throughout the year will include: Mellowfields Urban Farm, Moon on the Meadow Farm, Pinwheel Farm, Martin Farm, and Upward Spirals Bake Goods.

For more information on the market and the farmers visit the market’s website at: http://cottin’shardware.com/farmersmarket.

Come join us this Thursday from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market – Indoors!

Cottin’s Hardware & Rental is located at 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence.

Arugula flowers, leaves and seeds are all edible and delightfully flavorful. by Linda Cottin

Arugula , roquette, rocket, rugula or rucola, is an aromatic, peppery salad green. It is very popular in Italian cuisine often added as a raw topping to cooked pizza. Romans used arugula seed for flavoring oils and in Egypt, arugula is often served with seafood dishes or for breakfast with ful medames (mashed fava beans). Arugula grows wild in Asia and all over the entire Mediterranean area and has been cultivated worldwide for its leaves, edible flowers and seeds.

Fresh arugula is just one of the many cool season greens available at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Arugula is a great complement to any salad and can be served cooked or raw as a standalone side dish. Arugula works well in place of spinach in most recipes and adds a little spice to any entrée.

This week at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market you can sample a taste of arugula at the Savor the Season’s Arugula Pesto and Basil Pesto tasting event. Sample a bit of both pestos on a slice of local bread and enjoy the nuances of the different flavors. Both pestos will be hand crafted by Mr. Bacon BBQ using local ingredients, including local garlic and local walnuts.

Lots of great produce is still available at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market final market of the season - Thursday, October 25, 2012. by Linda Cottin

Join us for the final outdoor Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market of the season, this Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Sample some free pestos, enjoy some Mr. Bacon BBQ fare and relax to the incredible tunes of Rag x 2 –the infamous accordion and tuba duo!

Rag x 2 accordion tuba duo will play at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market, Thursday, October 25, 2012. by Linda Cottin

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is held in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence. Starting in November, Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market will move indoors for the Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market – Indoors! Featuring several local farmers, including Stony Ridge Farm, Avery’s Produce, Two Sisters Farm, Upward Spirals Bake Goods and more! Thursdays, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Farmers Markets are as much a social destination as they are a consumer driven market place. by Linda Cottin

Gathering spaces, all cultures have them; a place to join with others in the community, a place to share news, listen to stories, trade goods and seek out services. City halls, round houses, parks, churches, taverns and town squares have served as gathering places over time. Since the beginning of civilization, the most common and most universally recognized gathering space has been the open air market.

Originally, the corner stone of all shopping experiences, open air markets have served as a meet and greet, see and be seen, news and goods exchange mechanism. Eventually, modernization and cultural shifts turned the open air market into the corner store and further consumer development transformed the corner store into the super market, the mall and the big box store. The advent of the internet and social media affected a shift from brick and mortar shopping to online shopping, further removing consumers from the social mechanisms of gathering and placing them into cyberspace, where communication is limited by texting, blogging and online chat forums.

Almost as though society has gone full circle, communities are emerging from the fluorescent lit confines of consumerism to witness and effect a resurgence of open air markets. The most popular of these new age gathering spaces is the weekly farmers market. In the past four years the number of farmers markets in the United State has almost doubled, from 4,300 markets in 2008 to nearly 8,000 markets by the end of 2012.

Upon further speculation, the upsurge in farmers markets and their increased patronage can be rendered as closely paralleling the increase of corporate influences over national food sources. Maybe not surprising to many, the rising number of markets across the country is remarkably reflective of the introduction and proliferation of highly processed foods and genetically modified crops. Whether the increased popularity of local produce and food transparency is a response to big Ag or a social outcome from the general disconnect brought on by sprawling urban development and increased electronic communication, the fact of the matter remains, farmers markets are becoming an increasingly popular economic phenomenon.

According to Michael Pollan, in his October 10, 2012 New York Times magazine article “Vote for the Dinner Party:”

Money-for-food is not the only transaction going on at the farmers’ markets; indeed, it may be the least of it. Neighbors are talking to neighbors. Consumers meet producers. (Confirming the obvious, one social scientist found that people have 10 times as many conversations at the farmers’ market as they do at the supermarket.) City meets country. Kids discover what food is. Activists circulate petitions. The farmers’ market has become the country’s liveliest new public square, an outlet for our communitarian impulses and a means of escaping, or at least complicating, the narrow role that capitalism usually assigns to us as “consumers.” At the farmers’ market, we are consumers, yes, but at the same time also citizens, neighbors, parents and cooks. In voting with our food dollars, we enlarge our sense of our “interests” from the usual concern with a good value to, well, a concern with values.

Come join the community this week and show our local farmers that you value the fruits of their labor at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market.

This Thursday, October 18, 2012, Pickett, Paul and Jeans will play their upbeat eclectic mix of old time jazz and acoustical rhythms from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. The Ross Family will fire up their grill and serve up the season’s last taste of Thomasine’s handmade fry bread and Indian tacos. Seventeen of our area’s finest producers will be on hand to share their produce with market patrons and Free State Brewing will be pouring their award winning ales for the 21 and over crowd.

Taste the difference, meet your farmers and share in the community experience at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market.

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is held in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Thursdays through October from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm.

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market runs through the end of October in the back parking lot of Cottin's Hardware & Rental by Linda Cottin

If you haven’t made it to Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market yet this year – or if you are a regular weekly goer – you have three more weeks to partake in the food and fun of Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market. With three Thursdays left in October, the market is drawing near its end, but is definitely not winding down. The last market of the season will be Thursday, October 25, 2012. Plans for an arugula pesto and basil pesto tasting are in the works for the last market of the season and talk of piles of pumpkins is floating around for the remaining markets too. Meanwhile, there are three more weeks to stock up on fall storage crops from the market vendors. Three more weeks to purchase fresh, local, chemical free produce in the back parking lot of the hardware store. Three more weeks to stock up on grass fed beef and pasture raised pork. Three more weeks to enjoy Upward Spiral bake goods, Martin Farm pies, The Yeast We Can Do Scones and Stony Ridge Bake Goods. Of course there will be the small and efficient Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market – Indoors! starting up the first week of November, but the outdoor market – the one with live music, Free State Beer and a hot food vendor, is in its final days for the season.

Fieldstone Orchard has an amazing selection of locally grown organic apples and Asian pears available at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market, Thursdays, through October. by Linda Cottin

It seems that every growing season in Kansas is rote with challenges. Last year Spring brought with it an early warming followed by a disastrous late frost – leaving most fruit farmers with empty branches and little to bring to market. This spring saw an end to one of the mildest and driest winters on record, only to be followed by an excessively hot and invariably dry summer. The fruit farmers had a successful year; peaches, followed by pears, followed by apples, but yields were diminished from the heat and drought. An early cooling in August gave vegetable farmers hope for a bountiful fall, but dips below freezing this past week have dashed the hopes for an unusually bountiful extended growing season.

Decorate your kitchen with Two Sister's hydroponic lettuce! It keeps fresh for days if stored in small bowls of water on your counter top... or make a beautiful edible lettuce arrangement at the center of your table! by Linda Cottin

Luckily for market patrons and farmers alike, the frost only spread intermittently across the county and with the help of hoop houses and row cover many crops are still available for the picking. This week at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market you will find the usual assortment of fall crops, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, radishes and turnips. There will be a large assortment of greens, including chard, kale, mustards and arugula. Backyard produce will have a great selection of micro greens, a perfect addition to any salad or main entrée. Two Sisters Farm will be on hand with their luscious, hydroponic lettuce and assorted other greens. For those looking to warm up a bit on these cool autumn days, Abundant Life Naturals will be on hand with a wide selection of fair trade, mostly organic loose leaf teas.

I spot the hills With yellow balls in autumn. I light the prairie cornfields Orange and tawny gold clusters And I am called pumpkins. - Carl Sandburg by Linda Cottin

An added bonus this week at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market will be a nice selection of locally grown pumpkins, perfect for the jack-o-lantern or pumpkin pie of your dreams.

Fresh Picked will play a free concert at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market, Thursday, October 11, 2012! by Linda Cottin

Global Café will be the hot food vendor for the week and Fresh Picked will keep patrons and vendors entertained with their eclectic mix of old timey, traditional and playfully fun music.

KT Walsh helps build a "skinny princess" scarecrow during her scarecrow building demonstration at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Cottin’s Hardware & Rental is accepting applications for the October 26, 2012 Scarecrow Contest & Auction. The event will be held at 832 Pennsylvania from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm in conjunction with the October Final Friday’s art extravaganza. Participants are asked to build a scarecrow and pay $10 to enter it into the contest. Winners will be chosen at the event on October 26. Scarecrows will then be auctioned off to raise funds for both the Four Winds Native Center Community Garden and Central Garden at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Individuals, classrooms, clubs, groups and businesses are encouraged to participate – both in making scarecrows and in purchasing scarecrows from the auction.

For more information, check out the scarecrow page at cottinshardware.com or stop in at the hardware store, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence.

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is held in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS, Thursdays from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm.

Mustard Greens and other cool season crops are in abundance at local farmers markets this month. by Linda Cottin

It’s officially fall and with fall comes the true bounty of the harvest. Storage crops and fresh winter greens are in abundance at your local farmers market. Chestnuts are not quite ready for roasting, but peppers are ripe and ready to be roasted. You will find Avery Lominska roasting peppers at both the Saturday morning Lawrence Downtown Farmers Market and at the Thursday Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market.

Avery Lominska roasting peppers at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Even though a fair share of the country is still experiencing drought conditions, the past few rainfalls coupled with cooler temperatures have put area summer crops to rest and enticed leafy greens to practically pop out of the ground overnight. Chard, Kale, Arugula, and Mustard Greens are overflowing the farmer’s tables. Looking around at various market booths you will see a wide variety of mustard greens. Though common in Southern cuisine, mustard greens have yet to become a staple in the average American diet. For those liking pungent, peppery flavors the versatility of these seasonal greens is delightful.

Fresh, crisp mustard greens can be found in abundance at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

Mustard greens are best – nutrient and flavor wise – when lightly sautéed in a small amount (5 or 6 tablespoons full) of vegetable or chicken broth. For a quick dish, separate the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into bite size pieces and sauté them for a two minutes before adding the torn mustard leaves. Cover the pan and allow the greens to cook in the broth for 5 minutes. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of vinegar.

Great recipes for mustard greens can be found on various internet sites, including this one for garlicky mustard greens from Simply Recipes. by Linda Cottin

Add sautéed mustard greens to any pasta dish or add fresh greens to your tossed salad. If you are not a regular mustard green eater, you may want to start with smaller quantities, as the taste is robust and spicy. For a quick meal, make a mustard green frittata with this Food & Wine recipe from Gabe Thompson:

Mustard Green Frittata

1 large onion, diced

1-1/2 pounds mustard greens

16 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Separate stems from mustard leaves. Dice stems and set aside. Tear leaves into bite size pieces. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add onions and mustard stems. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add mustard greens and sauté until wilted. Stir egg mixture in with the sautéed greens. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about three minutes, lifting edges of the frittata to allow uncooked eggs to run beneath the cooked eggs. When the bottom is set, but the top is still runny, sprinkle with cheese and place skillet into pre-heated oven. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until frittata is set. Serve warm for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Scott Tichenor and Bill Crahan play regularly at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

This week at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market you will find lots of mustard greens, along with potatoes, squash, mushrooms, peppers, radishes, turnips and more. Mr. Bacon BBQ will be the hot food vendor, serving up pulled pork sandwiches, pig or chick pie and more. Scott Tichenor and Bill Crahan will provide the entertainment with their talented and enjoyable acoustic strumming on mandolin and guitar. There will also be a lemonade/bake sale booth to raise funds for juvenile diabetes.

Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market runs through the end of October in the back parking lot of Cottin's Hardware & Rental. by Linda Cottin

Plan your day and join the fun at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market this Thursday, October 4, 2012 from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market is located in the back parking lot of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence.

Winter squash, potatoes and peppers overflow Avery's Produce tables at Cottin's Hardware Farmers Market. by Linda Cottin

by Linda Cottin

Scarecrows have long been a staple in gardens and fields around the world. Traditionally designed to resemble the human figure, scarecrows are intended to keep birds and other pests away from fresh garden produce. Although scarecrows are still used regularly in many European countries, over the years they have become more of a folk art installation, rather than a functional feature in gardens across the United States.

A small group of Lawrence residents would like to foster a resurgence of scarecrows in the area. With that in mind; they have orchestrated Lawrence’s first annual Scarecrow Contest & Auction. Area residents and groups are encouraged to build a scarecrow and enter it into the competition. Throughout the month of October, scarecrows will be on display at Central Garden @ Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, the Four Winds Native Center Community Garden and at Cottin's Hardware & Rental. On Friday, October 26, 2012 the scarecrows will be moved to 832 Pennsylvania Street and a panel of five Lawrence judges will choose the winning entries. All of the scarecrows entered into the contest will then be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Proceeds from the contest and auction will be donated to Central Garden and to The Four Winds Native Center Garden.

Scarecrow events include a demonstration and two scarecrow making workshops. The first workshop will be held at Central Garden, 1500 Massachusetts Street, Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. The Scarecrow Making Workshop includes materials for one scarecrow with a paid contest entry fee of $10 or bring your own supplies and the workshop is free!

The second Scarecrow Making Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 4, 2012 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at the Four Winds Native Center, 1500 Haskell Avenue, Lawrence. Again, the workshop is free, but a paid contest entry fee of $10 will get you materials to build one scarecrow.

To kick off the whole event, a Scarecrow Making Demonstration will be held at Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market this Thursday, September 27, 2012. KT Walsh will demonstrate proper scarecrow building techniques and share tips and tricks useful in creating a functional and weather resistant scarecrow. KT will be building two scarecrows throughout the course of the market, using clothes donated by the Social Service League and other materials donated by Cottin's Hardware & Rental.

Brad Hoopes, pianist, will provide delightful background music for the event with the help of several of his friends. Rumor has it that Ardys Ramberg may stop by for a quick song or two also.

The Ross Family will fry up some of Thomasine’s delicious fry bread and serve their Indian tacos to hungry market patrons.

Somehow, despite the absence of traditional scarecrows in their fields, many area farmers have been able to stave off pests and produce a delightful bounty of fruits and vegetables for Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market patrons.

This week’s participating vendors include:

Avery's Produce

Backyard Produce

Cook's BBQ (not actually selling BBQ)

Drum Creek Farm

Fieldstone Orchard

Free State Brewing

Iwig Dairy

Martin Farm

My Neighbor Steve

New Boston Coop

Pinwheel Farm

Ross Family Indian Tacos

Stony Ridge Farms

Upward Spirals Bake Goods

Valley View Farm

Vinland Valley Nursery

Wakarusa Valley Farm

The Yeast We Can Do

More information on the Scarecrow Contest & Auction can be found on the Cottin’s Hardware & Rental website or on the Scarecrow Contest & Auction facebook page. Details and entry forms are also available at Cottin’s Hardware & Rental.