I hope everyone had a truly delicious Thanksgiving yesterday! How wonderful is it to take a day out from the regular routine to be with family and EAT and think of all the things we each have to be thankful for? Personally, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all. As I sit down to write the Market Update for tomorrow's market, I want to give thanks for a few of the market-specific things that have happened this year.
First, the Amenia Farmers' Market got off the ground to begin its first season in May. What a great outdoor season it was! I feel so fortunate to be a part of such a congenial and supportive group of vendors, and to help run a market that has been supported by so many wonderful and loyal customers! As early as June, we already had many repeat customers, many of whom I now think of as friends. What a wonderful thing to be able to meet so many new people each week, and to catch up with new and old friends! To all of the people who have made this market happen - especially our vendors and our customers, thank you a million times over.
I am extremely thankful that the Town of Amenia had the incredible foresight to agree to purchase the former Amenia Elementary School building to use as the new Town Hall. Although there may be those in town who think this was not a wise decision, I think it was brilliant. Not only is it a perfect example of enlightened municipal recycling (upcycling, one might say!) which will forever prevent a historic and beautiful building from falling deeper into disrepair, it is also symbolic of the forward progress of the Town of Amenia as a whole. We now have a Town Hall to be proud of - in a true place of pride - and one which has such wonderful potential for the entire community. The Amenia Winter Market is just the first of what I hope will be a long string of events to be held in the common areas of the Town Hall (there is a fabulous auditorium, too, just waiting for creative minds to plan Big Things). For the use of the gymnasium, and for the support of the entire Amenia Town Board, I am deeply grateful.
Specifically, I would like to thank Rudy Eschbach of Cedar Hill Farm for having the idea to start a Farmers' Market in Amenia in the first place, and for all the hard work he has put into the market. Vicki Harkness of Perry Hill Farm has volunteered a great deal of time to build for us our excellent website. Alex Camillone, husband of Pattie Camillone of Berkshire Mountain Foods, put together the artwork for our eye-catching posters and signs. Moore & More Printing helped to design the posters, and donated the first batch to the market! (As Stacey said, "I'm a farmer's daughter. I know how hard you all work".) Marshall Miles at Robinhood Radio has done a great deal to help us spread the word about the market, as have the Millerton News, the Millbrook Independent, and WQQQ FM Lakeville. Thank you all!
And a huge thank you to all of the people who have received this email and simply passed it along to friends. Such a simple act with such a HUGE impact! Thank you thank you thank you!
This week the market will have nary a turkey in sight! But we will have loads of delicious foods to help fill your week with tasty homegrown and homemade treats. Our vendor line-up for this week will include The Amazing Real Live Food Co. (cheeses), Berkshire Mountain Foods (granolas), Cascade Mountain Winery (wines and olive oil), Cedar Hill Farm (meats, pumpkins), Dashing Star Farm (lamb, eggs, wool, baked goods), Farm Country Soup (quiche, soup, baked goods), Krazy for Kazu's (Japanese marinades & dressings), Meili Farm (meats and eggs), Perry Hill Farm (soaps, tinctures, salves, trees), Ronnybrook Farm Dairy (milk, yogurt, butter), and Sol Flower Farm (veggies).
We hope to see you at the Amenia Winter Market, this Saturday, in the Amenia Town Hall, from 10:00 to 2:00.
Come thank a farmer! And let us thank you, too!
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