March

News at the Market: Well, we had our meeting and Don Wambles from the Market Authority in Montgomery was present. He said that they do have a bill concerning Farmers Markets and their canned goods, but that there is no telling when it will be presented. However, his group is trying to get the Health Department to come up with a leniency clause. He said in this clause we will probably get our jams, jellies, and baked goods back. He wasn’t sure about pickles. He did say that he knew that the soups, and other vegetables would not be back with this clause. We are keeping our fingers crossed, that when we open in the spring we will have some canned goods back to pass on to you.

Out in the Field: Boy, oh boy. March is the month that decides if we have plenty of vegetables when we open in April or just a few. The weather is the big factor, in being able to get in the field or not. What with the big snow and the hard rains, the farmers not only hope that the cold or the hard rains, haven’t frozen or washed away what they have already planted. Now they are waiting for a warm spell and no rain to plant some more. When the weather breaks, they will be planting their first planting of corn, and everyone knows that St Patrick’s Day is the time to plant string beans. My first plantings of seedling in flats are up, and have started on my second. My first being herbs, and my second being tomatoes. In about 2 weeks I will start some peppers, and egg plant. We know that if March comes in like a lion, then she will go out like a lamb, so I am thinking that when the market opens in April we will have an abundance of good vegetables to sell.

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