“Warm Up This Holiday Season at the Newtown PA Dutch Farmer’s Market”

By Debra Forman

Baby its cold outside, so it marks the perfect time to head indoors and enjoy the warmth of comfort food at the Newtown PA Dutch Farmer’s Market.

With special holiday hours for Christmas and New Year’s, you can share in the old-fashioned Amish traditions of Christmas, stroll the aisles of the market, gather your favorite foods, and pre-order your meats, salads, desserts and more for your family gathering, large or small.

At the market, located at 2150 South Eagle Road in Newtown, you will be treated to a feast of wall-to-wall comfort food that is sure to awaken each of your senses, and the helpful shop owners and staff are there to greet you, answer any questions and share a holiday tale or two.

On Christmas morning Dave Smucker and his wife, Ruth, will delight in watching their grandchildren open gifts, while the family prepares the holiday meal. “The best part of Christmas is being together with the entire family,” Dave Smucker said, “and seeing the smiles on the faces of the little ones.”

Smucker’s Salads and Desserts sells a wide variety of puddings and desserts for your family feast, including a chocolate éclair pudding, strawberry delight, baked rice pudding, pumpkin bread pudding, raspberry tapioca, pearl tapioca, Oreo cookie dessert, as well as homemade apple sauce, cranberry sauce, and a wide variety of side dishes and salads, including four kinds of potato salad.

Whether or not you enjoy cooking, the market is the pace to come for all of your holiday items. The various vendors are taking holiday orders so regulars can make sure they have everything they need for their upcoming gatherings, while enjoying a delicious lunch, hand-rolled pretzel or pretzel logs, hot chocolate or steaming cup of coffee.

Mahlon Esh, owner of Aaron’s Fresh Country Meats, has spiral sliced bone-in ham, old-fashioned boneless ham, prime rib, beef filet, lamb chops, steaks and leg of lamb, and crown roasts. Other popular holiday items include: smoked kielbasa, apple cinnamon sausage, bacon, and beef brisket.

At his grandmother’s home for Christmas some 60 family members, including 37 grandchildren, will enjoy a festive meal and being together. “We just enjoy being with one another, that is the best gift of all,” said Esh.

For Moses Smucker, owner of Zooks BBQ Barn, will be baby’s first Christmas at his home this year. His infant son, Jeremiah, is sure to light up when he sees his family gather for baking, family meals, and gifts.

He is now taking orders for cooked boneless Christmas hams, that can be sliced or purchased whole, and bbq and smoked turkeys. His wide range of menu items include bbq or smoked duck, bbq or smoked turkey wings and legs, creamy homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing and homemade gravy.

One of those regulars at Zooks BBQ Barn, John Crane, a Newtown sales engineer, comes to the Newtown Farmer’s Market with his wife, every week.

“I work at home on Friday, so I am here for a lunch of smoked chicken wings, and then I shop around,” Crane explained. “Everything is so fresh and the people here know all about the items they are serving. I look forward to buying many of my family’s holiday items at the market this year.”

The Special Holiday Hours are:

Christmas Week:

Thursday December 22: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday December 23: 9 a.m-7 p.m.

Saturday December 24: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

New Years Week:

Thursday December 29: 9 a.m-6 p.m

Friday December 30: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday December 31: 9 a.m-3 p.m.

In addition to all of the mouth-watering food items to enjoy at the market for lunch, dinner, and dessert, as well as take home for family members and friends; people come from near and far to enjoy some of the Amish culture and traditions.

Many of the vendors have been selling their items in the Newtown Farmer’s Market for 20 years; while others took over their business from relatives or previous shop owners.

"I come to Smucker's Salads for breakfast every week because these are the best pancakes, scrapple and eggs I have ever had,” said Bob Kocak, of Newtown, a market regular.

“First I eat and then I shop at the different vendors. I come here because the food is fresh and delicious and everyone here is so friendly,” Kocak said. “I will purchase many items from the market for my holiday table.”

What makes the Newtown Farmer’s Market so unique is that in an age of little or no attention paid to customers, the hard-working market shop owners and their associates, are providing friendly service, coupled with the variety of items, freshness and quality, it is a crowd pleaser. Customers say they always leave the market “happy and well fed.”

Many children and their moms stop by Barbie’s Soft Pretzels for a delicious hand-rolled treat before they visit the various shops in the market. The repeat customers say it is always their first stop and they usually get a few more buttery pretzels on their way out the door, which is something owner Ivan Stoltzfus is happy to hear.

The hard-working Amish vendors, who reside in Lancaster and travel to Newtown to sell their home-made wares, pretzels, cheese, salads, BBQ, poultry, pot pies, meats, candy, bread, cakes, pies, pudding and other desserts.

The Amish vendors are joined by local shop owners who prepare and sell falafel, guacamole, sushi, seafood, coffee, produce, eggs and much more. Most Amish markets do not include shops like King of Falafel’s Middle Eastern specialties, Dos Amores’ Mexican food, and Akiko Sushi.

There is no better time of the year to visit Alvin Fisher, and his Dutch Treats candy and bulk foods shop. Customers come in for specialty holiday candies, candy canes, Asher’s chocolates, Wilbur’s chocolate buds, nuts, nut butters, popcorn, organic honey, lollipops, snack items, spices, and many other treats.

Candy and nut trays, a wide variety of spices, and numerous other items are available for hostess gifts, and parties of all sizes from Dutch Treats.

“We have one customer who comes in for nuts and snacks every Friday who has been coming in for 13 years,” said Alvin’s niece, Kathy Fisher. “We have a lot of shoppers who buy the bulk foods for baking this time of year, while others just love our chocolates and other treats. So we cater to a lot of different shoppers, and we are always happy to see them.”

For further information please go to: http://www.newtownfarmersmarket.com/