Week 1 of the 2011 season

This past Monday marked the opening day of the farmer's market for the 2011 season. I've got to say, I wasn't completely overwhelmed with customers, which bummed me out a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely grateful for the customers I had, and I think that I did well considering how many customers were there that day. But I guess that's the part that bummed me out—a few vendors weren't there that normally would have been, and the crowd just wasn't what I expected for opening day. Perhaps this was because kids were still in school, so it was harder for parents to get down there. Maybe it's because gas costs an arm and a leg these days, and people are choosing not to drive if it's not absolutely necessary. Maybe it was because the weather was pretty warm that day, and a lot of people stayed in because of that. I don't know. I can only hope that next week's turnout is at least the same and that my sales are about the same, because at some point, it becomes not worth it for me to continue in this endeavor.


The market is sometimes hard for me. I love it, but it's hard to make much money doing it, so it really is a labor of love. In order to be able to make decent money, I think you need to sell at more than one market, and with my practically full-time career as an operations manager for a communication design firm, plus with being a mom and a wife, I can't manage more than one market. So to those of you that have been loyal to me, I'm grateful, and it's because of you that I'm back. I know that I would be baking anyway, so I might as well bake and get a little bit of money for it, and at the same time, make all of you happy with yummy treats.


I was grateful to have my husband with me for moral support that first day. We left work in enough time to not be rushed during setup, and I was pleased with my booth's new position on the other side of the walkway. We now have the sun to our backs, so it's not melting my cookies. But as a result, I think it's made it a bit hotter for me as the sun is now hitting more of my body than just my feet. And that sun and heat are energy zappers for sure! By 6:00, both Jack and I were feeling the effects of it all. He was worse off than me, but we muddled through the last hour and clean-up. The cold shower I took when I got home felt so good.


Fran was the first to get to my table shortly after the market opened at 3:00. Then the regulars just kept coming, which was so cool. Margie stopped by, as well as Martha, Alicia, and Faustino. Then Tony and Margot came, and Jess grabbed a goody, too. Jan was back, and Heather had to pick up some Apple HappyJacks for her daughter. Karen and Tom, and Alan, Deb, and Melissa stopped, too. And I was happy to see JoAnn, Maria, and Sarah. There were some of you that stopped that I remember from last year, but I don't know your names. But I appreciate every single one of you, and every cookie and pie that you purchased. To those that had never had my cookies or pies, I hope that you enjoyed what you bought, and will be back again this coming Monday.


This year, I decided to try something new and actually buy some groceries from the vendors at the market. The past few years, I've subscribed to a CSA, but this year decided that it would be better to buy my fruits and veggies from the vendors at my market. It was a good decision. We got some great lettuce from Paul's Orchard, and fantastic strawberries from Kern Farms. I also got a loaf of honey wheat bread from Loafers, and a jar of pasta sauce from Colaizzi Brothers. I even bought a cookie from another vendor: a gingersnap from Fabulous Homemade Cookies. And then my daughter and I shared a root beer snow cone from Wu's Shaved Ice, and my husband and I had sandwiches from Rowdy BBQ. It was all delicious!


Well, that's it for now. Until next week, have a yummy day!