Supporting Local Farmers!
While the growing season is winding down here in northeast Kansas, there are still many opportunities to support local farmers in the holiday season and throughout the winter.
One prime opportunity is to shop at the Lawrence Farmers Market Holiday Market. This year’s Holiday Market will be held on December 11th, 2021, from 9 AM– 4 PM at the Open Pavilion at Douglas County Fairgrounds (1930 Harper Street). Note the new location for 2021. After many years in what is now the Doubletree (formerly the Holidome), this year the Lawrence Farmers Market Holiday Market will be in the Open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 19th and Harper. This move was made out of an abundance of caution to allow customers to shop for local products but also be in a safe, fresh air environment. The space is large and open on all sides but has a roof in case of inclement weather. I encourage you to get out and enjoy the opportunity to support a large variety of local farms while you do your holiday shopping, or just stock up on food for the winter.
Another great opportunity to support local growers is every Thursday at Cottin’s Hardware, 1837 Massachusetts St. from 4:00-6:30 PM the Cottin’s Hardware Farmers Market continues year-round. It has moved into the store for the winter, so it is a bit smaller than in the peak of summer but typically still has fresh produce, local meat, local honey, eggs, baked goods, jams, jellies, and more.
In addition to these seasonal opportunities, there are more ways than ever to connect with farms that do online sales, to sign up for next year’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions. Keep your eyes on the web and social media for opportunities to connect with local Douglas County growers.
On a slightly different note, this will be my last newsletter update as the Horticulture Agent for K-State Research and Extension Douglas County. It has been my pleasure to serve the residents of Douglas County, but I will be heading off to work with the Kansas Rural Center (www.kansasruralcenter.org), where I will continue to support sustainable agriculture, small farms, and specialty crop growers. I hope you all have a good winter and look forward to reading insights from the next Horticulture Agent.
Best wishes, Tom Buller
