This Week at the Smart Markets Bristow Farmers' Market

This Week at the Smart Markets Bristow Farmers' Market
Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Bristow Commons
Bristow Montessori School Parking Lot
9050 Devlin Rd.
Bristow, VA 20136
Map

It looks as if we will have another nice winter day this Sunday -- we are grateful for the weather but also for our shoppers. We are also grateful for our new friends at the Bristow Beat, who are running a banner ad for us on their site. Stacy and Jason Shaw are working like beavers to build a better community news website, and they welcome your support and story ideas. And you can learn more about our vendors too -- Stacy is doing a series on our vendors and I can guarantee you that they all have a story to tell. The first article was about Martin’s Angus Beef.

Take for instance Shelby Biancaniello -- our cupcake, decorated cake and cake pop lady. Shelby will be bringing cake pops with the Breast Cancer ribbon on them for the next few weeks because she is raising money for a friend who will be participating in the Komen walk later this spring. She is generously contributing everything she makes from these pops to her friend’s effort. So those of you who are not walking yourselves or do not have friends or relatives whom you are supporting, you may support the cause while enjoying the pops. And Shelby is now accepting credit cards.

Kathleen Hutcheson, our handmade-soap vendor, has just returned from Africa, where she is helping to create a soapmaking business using products available in Nairobi, Kenya. Ask her about her trip and know that your support of her business no doubt supports her other efforts too.

It should be warm and dry enough for Blue Dog BBQ to be with us this week. If you want to be sure of getting what you want, feel free to order ahead. They almost always brings their ribs, brisket, chicken and pulled pork, but they usually sell out. I tried their Blue Dog Bowl last week, and boy, was that a treat. All the goodness of a sandwich with sides without the bread -- and much neater to consume! It was goooood!

I also wanted to remind you that Max Tyson Sr. is now selling eggs for one of our member farmers who is not yet coming to market but has many eggs to move. And we know Sally’s poor chickens just can’t keep up with the demand. Now you have two choices of eggs from sustainably and humanely raised chickens. If you need more testimony about how much better these eggs are, check out this Washington Post article about a drive to allow backyard chickens in Arlington County. Or read my recent blog post on the subject.

From the Market Master

This is always an exciting time for Smart Markets and me -- when the inquiries and application from new vendors are coming in and I can see in my mind’s eye the markets filling out and, in some cases, filling up with them. We cannot grow indiscriminately at all of our markets; those are the ones that challenge me to select only the best and brightest vendors. I also have to try to discern who understands the commitment involved. The demand for spaces is greater than our ability to include. Some vendors are not prepared to make the commitment, follow the rules and stick with us until you, the shoppers, “find” them and learn to love them as I know you will.

Thankfully, at some markets we can grow to fill a bigger space, and at those markets I can experiment a little with vendors whom I know are just coming to test the waters or make a little mad money and with nascent entrepreneurs who need our assistance with everything from labeling and display to design and marketing. At the roomier sites, we can give them a chance to grow, develop, and maybe even move on -- but that is part of our reason for being here. The challenge for me, of course, is figuring out who’s who.

This year we have several new sustainable farmers and our first certified-organic farmer. We have a gentleman who wants to bring his own fresh and dried herbs and infused oils and vinegars -- and beautiful blown glass bottles and utensils for the use and care of his products. We have interest from a woman who mixes spices for all kinds of creative cooking. I am sure you will see her products showing up in the demos that we hope to schedule every month at each market.

We have a wonderful new cake baker who will start very soon. She will be bringing lovely heirloom and avant-garde cakes and tortes -- European-influenced and classic American. And, as always, several new vendors from our culturally rich and diverse population of home cooks. We will also have a new grower of fresh flowers.

Not all of these new vendors will come to all of the markets, of course -- but we will build upon our fantastic core of loyal and top-rate vendors who have been with us for years.

This has been a teaser of sorts -- a peek at the markets of the future, but the future is nearly now. Several of our farmers expect to come in April this year -- this mild winter has already made that possible no matter what happens in the next couple of months. I hope that you can get as excited as I am. Think strawberries and asparagus, our own harbingers of spring in this area.

And don’t forget that your local year-round market has goodies to hold you over until spring. In addition to the meats, dairy, healthy eggs, baked goods, and prepared foods, we have had greens almost every week all winter long, and the spring arugula is already appearing. Can English peas be far behind?

Photo by MinimalistPhotography101.com