Sunday, January 27th: New Faces, Old Faces & One Great Year-Round Farmers Market!

Heather Howell making cheese at Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo courtesy Twin Oaks Creamery.

One might think January is anything but an exciting month here at your Ballard Farmers Market. One would be wrong! As a year-round market, we shine this time of year, with dozens of world-class food producers lining historical Ballard Avenue while almost every other market in the state is in its winter slumber. Plus, we are actually adding new vendors this time of year. This week, please welcome our newest: Twin Oaks Creamery! Based in Chehalis, Twin Oaks was nearly wiped off the face of the earth by the historic flood of 2007. But they have been working hard to rebuild their dairy farm business since that horrific event, they now have healthy goat and cow herds for milking and a modern cheese-making facility, and they have set their sites on farmers markets for their future. To that end, they arrive today with pasteurized goat and cow milk and cheese. And in the coming weeks and months, they will continue to expand their offerings to include aged raw milk cheeses, yogurt and more! And we couldn’t be more thrilled! While we have a reliable supply of raw milk from Sea Breeze Farm, we’ve been without pasteurized milk, or any goat milk, since the departure of Silver Springs Creamery in late summer. So come celebrate the return of milk to your Ballard Farmers Market, and get to know your local dairy farmer!

Roy Nettlebeck, owner of Tahuya River Apiaries, has something sweet to smile about — honey! Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

2012 was a rough year for beekeeper Roy Nettlebeck of Tahuya River Apiaries. Seemingly insulated for many years from the worldwide collapse of bee populations, his hives suffered last year both from high mortality rates as well as historic snows in the Olympic Mountains, and we have suffered Roy’s absence from your Ballard Farmers Market for the entire 2012 season. His bees, which work the steep eastern slopes of the Olympics, pollinating wildflowers and making honey from their nectar, did process a small amount of wildflower honey in 2012, however, and Roy is in the Market today with what he’s got. Don’t expect these big jars, though. He only has small jars of his honey today, as he wants to spread it around to as many people as possible. Stop by and pick up some of this Olympic gold, and enjoy a natural bit of the sweet life!

Jerry Stokesberry of Stokesberry Sustainable Farm holding one of his delicious chickens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Jerry Stokesberry — namesake of Stokesberry Sustainable Farm — can’t help but smile about his delicious chickens, and neither will you. These birds are unlike any chicken you’ve ever had from a Big Box store. Indeed, once you’ve had one of these, you won’t even recognize what sold in the Big Box stores as chicken anymore. The Stokesberrys sell their chickens fresh and frozen, though both sell out quickly each week. And occasionally, they offer up stewing hens, too. I made the most amazing chicken soup with one of these recently. I ate it every night for a week!

Will Lockmiller of Sno-Valley Mushrooms explaining the process to our own Gil Youenes. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another of our new farm additions to your Ballard Farmers Market this winter is Sno-Valley Mushrooms. They are cultivating shiitake, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms in their state-of-the-art facility in Duvall. Back in mid-December, our own Gil Youenes and I got to tour their farm, learning a lot about mushroom growing in the process. Here, Sno-Valley’s Will Lockmiller explains to Gil about how their inoculated straw blocks are made, and how they will soon produce many beautiful shiitakes.

Jessie Hopkins from Colinwood Farms sits atop the farm’s antique, horse-draw potato planter. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It may be January, but it’s peak season at Colinwood Farms in Port Townsend. See, they’ve learned to magnify the natural climatic advantage they enjoy being located in Washington’s Banana Belt, in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, and the incredibly rich, fertile soil on their farm, with a series of large greenhouses that help them grow salad greens, and other temperature-sensitive deliciousness, all winter long. And I just love this photo I captured of the farm’s Jessie Hopkins on their antique potato planter a few years back.

Nash’s Kia Armstrong and Wynne Weinreb of Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I know I am thin on photos of delicious food this week, but I decided it was as good a week as any to focus instead on our delicious vendors, like Kia Armstrong from Nash’s Organic Produce, and Wynne Weinreb from Jerzy Boyz — two more farms that rock it at your Ballard Farmers Market all winter long. Sure, Nash’s has plenty of Brussels sprouts, kale, rutabagas and cabbages this time of year, and Jerzy Boyz is rich with amazing, heirloom apples and pears, but when it comes right down to it, what truly makes our little farmers market wealthy is our wonderful sense of family, as can be seen on the faces of these two taking a break together. And don’t you come here for this, as well? I mean, yes, you will not find any better food anywhere — certainly not at the Big Box stores — but you also get a good dose of community here. You meet the people who produce the food that nourishes your body and fills your soul, and you meet your neighbors. Here is one place where you are not treated like a number — like a “consumer”. Here, we are people. Enjoy it. And then take that feeling with you throughout the rest of your week.

Clayton Burrows of Alm Hill Gardens (a.k.a., Growing Washington) talks farmers markets with Senator Maria Cantwell. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Clayton Burrows of Alm Hill Gardens (a.k.a., Growing Washington) has never been one known to mind his manners and keep his yap shut. Like so many of the amazing farmers with whom we are blessed here at your Ballard Farmers Market, he not only grows great food for us, but he is a tireless activist to help make our food system, our communities and our world better for all of us. So needless to say (though by now, you’ve figured out I’m gonna say it anyway), when U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell visited your Ballard Farmers Market this past summer, Clayton availed himself of the opportunity to do a little educating and community building with her — and those Alm Hill berries she’s enjoying didn’t hurt a bit, either. Alm Hill is another one of our anchor, year-round farms here at your Ballard Farmers Market, and right now, they’ve actually got fresh-cut tulips already, as well as some great farm-fresh eggs, too.

Jim Page performing at Ballard Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, not all of our Market characters are farmers, but what would be the point of eating anyway, if we didn’t have music to fill our souls, too? Week in and week out, we are blessed with an incredibly talented pool of buskers who perform for us at your Ballard Farmers Market — folks like world-renowned folk singer Jim Page, who can be found most Sundays, when he’s not touring, playing his powerful music for us right here. We don’t pay any of these performers. That’s up to you. If you like them, or even if you just appreciate them for doing what they do, toss a little cash into their instrument case, hat or jar, and maybe purchase a CD, a poem, a painting or a balloon animal. Supporting your local street performers adds just as much to the beautiful, vibrant community of Ballard we call home as supporting your local farmers, fishers, ranchers, food artisans and artists at your Ballard Farmers Market, and all the locally-owned shops, bars, eateries and other businesses that line historic Ballard Avenue. And buying a CD directly from a musician, instead of at a store, means that musician gets almost all of the purchase price, inside of mere pennies per unit.

Please remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, December 18th: Frenzied Final Purchases, Fond Farewells, An Amazing & Unusual Year!

Smoked holiday hams from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Holy holiday hams, Batman! Yup, Olsen Farms has a slew of freshly smoked hams for your holiday table. Be it for Solstice, Christmas, Festivus, Zappadan, Kwanzaa, or Chanukah… okay, maybe not Chanukah… but these beauties are awesome, and you can tell your guests it came straight from the farm! Yeah, they took a little longer to get here this year, but that’s okay, right? I mean, you know why it takes so long to smoke a ham, don’t you? Cuz it’s hard to keep them lit! (Can I get a rimshot?)

Julianna from Ascents Candles. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We know you are scrambling to get all your holiday shopping done now, and there is no place better than your Ballard Farmers Market for that. Lotsa local loveliness and deliciousness to be had. Like these fragrant candles from Ascents Candles. They are made using the finest essential oils and oils that do not produce toxic smoke in your home. Of course, you can also get beautiful odorless candles, too, for your table during your holiday feasts, so the scent doesn’t interfere with your ability to taste everything. And Julianna has got some gift boxes of votives and some cool new sizes of candles this year.

"Mistlefaux" from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids, it’s that holiday favorite, mistlefaux, from Alm Hill Gardens. Since the real stuff doesn’t grow around here, we’ve got the next best thing! BTW, now’s as good a time as any to remind you that we will be taking a holiday break for the next two weeks, since both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays this year. The staff and vendors of your Ballard Farmers Market will be spending those days with friends and family, or eating Chinese and going to the movies, but we’ll be right back here on Sunday, January 8th. So remember to stock up on food stuffs from your favorite farmers today!

Holiday breads from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How about some sweet holiday breads from Tall Grass Bakery? Some almond bread and stollen will brighten up any holiday feast. Of course, they’ll have their full line of baked deliciousness today, too, so stock up for the holiday break. It freezes great!

A pear gift box from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Everyone is getting in the holiday marketing spirit around your Ballard Farmers Market. Even those crazy cats at Collins Family Orchards. They’ve rolled out several different gift boxes, like this one full of pears. If you’re gonna give someone a box of fruit, shouldn’t you at least make it truly special by including the name of the farm that grew it? Otherwise, it is just another box of fruit!

Japanese knotweed honey from Tahuya River Apiaries. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It was kind of an off year for the bees this year, since the snow level was so low so late into spring. We got to learn from Tahuya River Apiaries this year that honey, too, is seasonal. But one flower in abundance for the bees to pollinate in the Olympic Mountains was Japanese knotweed, and the result is this beautiful, dark wild Japanese knotweed honey from Tahuya. Now, wouldn’t that be a sweet stocking stuffer! Think of the charoset! And hey, it’ll boost your immune system, too!

Smoked whole sides of white king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know why it takes so long to smoke a salmon? Wait, have you heard this one before? Well, in any case, Wilson Fish has smoked whole sides of king salmon they caught off the coast of Washington this past summer. Blow the roof off of your New Year’s Eve party when you bring a platter covered with one of these!

Lizzie from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

For several years now, we’ve all had the pleasure of working with Lizzie from Lyall Farms. She has kept us in apples and sweet potatoes and then some, always with a blinding smile on her face. But alas, while Lyall Farms will be back with us come January 8th, Lizzie will not. She is heading out on a major life adventure to a great city that straddles two continents, half a world away. For our sake, we hope to see her return someday off in the future, but for now, we wish Lizzie happy, safe journeys fertile with years of grand stories. Stop by Lyall Farms today, load up on sweet potatoes for the holidays, and wish Lizzie well. Hey Lizzie, send us a post card, eh?

Terry from Quilceda Fars. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We also bid a fond adieu to Terry Whetham and Quilceda Farm. Terry has been bringing us delicious goat meat for years, teaching us of its nutritional value, giving us recipes, and helping us to understand why it is the most commonly eaten meat on earth. Well, Terry has decided to pack it in. No kidding. (Uh, sorry.) Yes, Terry is retiring. He’s heading off to greener pastures. (Again, my apologies.) Actually, I think he’d expect nothing less than a good razzing sendoff from me. Perhaps what I will miss about Terry the most is how much good-humored grief he would give me every week. Just ask any of the vendors around him. They will testify to the back-and-forth we had. So stop by with a gold watch for Terry, and make one last purchase from him. After all, he’s got your goat!

Jerry Pipitone from Pipitone Farms out standing in his field. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another of the true characters of the farmers market world is Jerry Pipitone of Pipitone Farms, a.k.a., the Rock Island Brand. For more than 30 years, Jerry has cranked out some of the finest apricots, peaches and Italian prunes, as well as garlic, shallots, jams, dried herbs, heirloom Italian tomatoes and more. He has been a great leader in both the farmers market and organic farming communities, and he has been quite simply a hoot to have around, always with a bad joke or a crusty story. Well, Jerry, too, is retiring. I had the pleasure of visiting him at his farm on Rock Island, just down river from Wenatchee, this past spring, where I captured this photo of him out standing in his field. I look forward to visiting him again out there, in retirement, and maybe taking in a game of bocce ball with him.

And as we honor these wonderful folks as they leave us for their next stages of life, let us take a moment to remember two lovely ladies who graced us with their musical talents many times over the years here at your Ballard Farmers Market — Arwen and Teresa Morgan. Arwen and Teresa (Arwen’s mother) played together in their family’s band, The Cutters, but they also individually busked at the Ballard Farmers Market, Arwen playing fiddle, and Teresa playing hammer dulcimer. Sadly, we lost both of these lovely, talented women in 2011 — Arwen in July and Teresa in late November. You can learn more about both women, and share your own thoughts via this Facebook page, which includes information on a memorial service being held this evening for Teresa in Magnolia.

Brunching on the Garden Patio at Bastille. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Finally, let us look back with fondness on what has been, perhaps remarkably, a remarkable year here at your Ballard Farmers Market, and for Ballard in general. As the Market keeps getting bigger and better, Ballard itself continues to grow in international prominence as a food mecca, and just generally a cool place to be. Your Ballard Farmers Market won “Best Farmers Market” again from both the Seattle Weekly and Seattle Magazine, and we came in a respectable #8 in the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest, garnering the most votes of any market on the West Coast. And we got to watch our influence continue to spread over Ballard with the opening of seemingly countless new eateries, bars and food related businesses. Remember 10 years ago, when we first moved the Market to Ballard Avenue? There were tumbleweeds blowing down the street on Sundays. Now, during the worst economy in 80 years, Ballard is booming, and all the celebrated chefs of Seattle want to open up shop here. National and international magazines cannot mention Seattle without mentioning Ballard. And the beauty of it is that we’ve built a robust local economy here in Ballard around small, local businesses. Heck, our friends and neighbors at Bastille built their restaurant around the Market, and they built their menu around its farmers. Thank you, Ballard, for being so kind to us, for supporting our vendors, and for embracing the spirit of local upon which this Market stands. And here’s to a great 2012!

Hey, there is plenty of local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, September 25th: Bragging Rights, Salmon Reprieve, Colorful Cauliflower, Fruit Phonics, Delicious Displays & A Word About Your Dog!

Judy & Gil are proud of yet another pair of "Best Of" awards from Seattle Weekly. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Judy Kirkhuff, the Market Master of your Ballard Farmers Market, and her son Gil, proudly gloat over our pair of “Best Of Seattle 2011″ awards from Seattle Weekly. And why not? We won both the Editors’ Choice and the Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Farmers Market. Woohoo! And thank you, editors and readers for this honor. It means a lot to us. And we love you, too!

Fresh, brilliant red king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids, look! More fresh king salmon from Wilson Fish. Gene and the boys managed to score an opening in Oregon waters, courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and we are the beneficiaries. Yippee! A reprieve! Enjoy ‘em while you can, because this, too, shall pass.

Nectarplums from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I swear, these orchards are like a bunch of mad scientist hybridists, creating new kinds of stone fruit every year. There are apriums, which are 70% apricot and 30% plum genetically. Then there are pluots, which are 70% plum and 30% apricot. Then came nectarcots — part nectarine, part apricot. And now we have, from Collins Family Orchards, nectarplums, a cross between nectarines and plums. Personally, I am still holding out for nectareachs! When they finally cross a peach and a nectarine, then I will be truly impressed. Oh, and it is not true that cherry tomatoes are a cross between cherries and tomatoes, BTW.

Carnival & golden nugget winter squash from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Fall began on Friday, though the weather didn’t really reflect it until today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Perfect timing to heat of the kitchen with this beautiful winter squash from Stoney Plains. Roast it. Soup it. Stuff it. Fry it. Love it!

This spectacular display of roots by Big Dave at Full Circle Farm I call, "Display 101." Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

If we gave awards for spectacular displays, this display of carrots and radishes by Big Dave from Full Circle Farm would without question be in the running. I mean, don’t you just want to reach into the photo and grab one of those carrots to munch on? Our local farmers grow some of the finest produce to be found anywhere, but they say the first taste is with the eyes, and thus it is often the brilliant artistry of each farm’s Market staff that ultimately catches your attention. It also makes we photographers very happy!

Nash's Kia Armstrong and Wynn Weinreb of Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I feel like I should entitle this photo, “Union Break for Farmers.” If only! But if a picture tells a thousand words, this one illustrates the family that is your Ballard Farmers Market community, and behind that, it speaks to a deeper level of community that farmers markets give to farmers. After all, farming has the highest suicide rate of any profession, because so many farmers suffer the economic woes of their work in isolation in rural countrysides. But at farmers markets, not only do farmers enjoy access to the full retail value of the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor, but they also get to enjoy the appreciation of grateful public week after week, and they get to interact on a regular basis with their fellow farmers. I mean, Kia Armstrong of Nash’s Organic Produce comes to Ballard from Sequim, and Wynne Weinreb of Jerzy Boyz Farm comes to Ballard from Chelan. The two have Puget Sound, a huge city and the Cascade Mountains between them. But they get to see each other at Ballard every week! Pretty cool, huh?

Fresh grapes from Magana Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey, another sure sign of fall is grapes from Magana Farms from over in Sunnyside. You know, it used to be that people identified fall with apples in this state, but now, grapes are just as strong an association. We are, after all, the #2 wine producing state in the nation. Wanna practice making your own wine? Or maybe some jelly? Now’s the time! But maybe not raisins. These bad boys have seeds in them.

Galactic purple cauliflower from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm is absotively possilutely blowing the doors off their cauliflower right now. Just take a gander at these fabulous heads of galactic purple cauliflower they’ve got this week, and their white cauliflower is pretty awesome today, too! This is the best year for it in a very long time, so have at it people!

Focaccia rolls from Grateful Bread Baking. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These focaccia rolls from Grateful Bread Baking are a perfect quick snack on the go. They’re chewy, cheesy and vegetably, and they’re loaded with yummy, local goodness. Of course, they also have plenty of artisan breads, bagels, cookies, muffins and pastries, as well as some great challah for your Sabbath dinner or some screaming French toast!

Peanuts on the vines from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Yes, peanuts do grow in Washington. And these are raw peanuts – green peanuts still on the vine, in fact. Alvarez Organic Farms is in the midst of its annual peanut harvest right now, and that means we get to enjoy fresh, local peanuts to roast, boil, stir-fry and more at home!

The perfect basket of tomatoes from Summer Run. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Here’s another display fit for a postcard! This is truly the perfect basket of tomatoes, is it not? Summer Run Farm gets the props for this one. And you know, many of us never get to see farm tables that look like this, as this is what they tend to look like at the start of the Market, right before we hungry masses descend upon them and mess them up!

Baby artichokes from Boistfort Valley Farm lack the choke! Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The good folks at Boistfort Valley Farm are almost a bit apologetic about calling these beauties “baby artichokes“. See, they harvest these young pups before they develop the “choke” in the name artichoke — you know, that hairy inside with the spikes? These are the lovely, tender, chokeless artichokes. Maybe we should just call them “arti“.

Jack the Bat Dog. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Finally today, a note about your best friend. We welcome your pooch at your Ballard Farmers Market, but only in a bag, or on a short leash, and under your control at all times. See, dogs take their lead from their human, and unfortunately, while most dogs are very good at following instructions, many humans are not. If you like bringing your dog with you to Market, we need you to keep your dog short-leashed. That means that another person should not be able to walk between you and your dog at any time. Yes, we know you have the most well-behaved dog on earth. Everyone does, apparently. Just ask them. But if that was true, we wouldn’t have to be giving you this reminder right now. Please follow this simple rule, or leave your pup at home. And thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Hey, there is plenty of local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, July 31st: Of Camera Crews, Farmers Out Standing In Their Fields, Legends Of The Biz & Other-Worldly Stone Fruit.

A film crew from the Port of Seattle shoots at Ballard Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

There was a camera crew from the Port of Seattle at your Ballard Farmers Market last Sunday. Why? Well, apparently there is some sort of international conference of ports meeting in Seattle next month, and they are putting together a presentation on all the great things Seattle has to offer. And needless to say, though I will anyway, no such presentation would be complete without a segment on your Ballard Farmers Market. After all, Ballard Farmers Market is Seattle’s favorite farmers market, right? The question I have for you now, all 3,000 or so of you who will read this epistle this week, is do you believe Ballard Farmers Market is America’s Favorite Farmers Market? Because we need your vote! And don’t get all, “But we want to keep this our little secret” Seattleite on me, either. Besides the fact that that ship has already sailed, if we win this year, we get $$ to help us make the Market even better, and you get free “No Farms, No Food” canvas bags! So please, take a moment to vote for us now. It is the simplest thing you can do today to thank us for all the hard work we put in to bring you this grand market every week, year-round, rain, sun, snow, wind. And thank you!

Donut Peaches from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Aliens!!! No, just donut peaches from Collins Family Orchards. Sure, they look like a weird flying saucer, and some even get nicknamed “Saturn peaches.” Whatever you wanna call ‘em, I just call ‘em delicious. Yep, these are my favorite peaches, bar none. Amongst the newest of peach varieties, I remember when I first encountered them while I stayed on a farm in Naches in 1999, just a few miles from Selah, where these particular donut peaches, above, are grown. It is perfect fruit growing territory, as the fruit at Collins Family Orchards will tell you.

Eric Sundstrom of Silver Springs Creamery chats with one of the girls. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Actually, one of the perks of my job is that I get to visit the farms represented at the Market. This past week, I had the pleasure of visiting several, including Silver Springs Creamery, way up north in Lynden, so close to the Canadian border that there were more cars with BC plates than Washington plates. And if a picture speaks a thousand words, this one speaks for farmer Eric Sundstrom’s close relationship with the cows and goats that produce the extraordinary milk he brings to Market every Sunday for us to enjoy. As we walked out into the pasture to meet the girls, they all came right over to us to say hi. And among the many things I learned from Eric during my visit is that healthy jersey cows that will produce plenty of good milk should actually show some ribs in their profile, like the one in the photo above. Eric said that at first, he thought these were unhealthy cows, but as he learned the business, he found out that it’s just the opposite for dairy cows. And the proof is in the milk, yogurt and cheese he brings to Market every Sunday. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are really missing out.

Raspberries from Jessie's Berries. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I also got to visit Jessie’s Berries on Fir Island, near Mount Vernon, where I got to walk through the rows of raspberries, doing plenty of quality control as I did. Sorry, I don’t have photos from there, as it was raining like crazy on Monday, and my camera and water just don’t mix well. And if you are wondering why strawberries are now gone, you can blame that rain. But hey, if we can get, finally, a few weeks of warm and dry, we may get us another round of strawberries in a few weeks.

Sweet corn from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey, it’s sweet corn season folks. This corn is from Lyall Farms. I got to visit their farms a couple of years ago. This corn grows on their property in Sunnyside, where it’s hotter and drier than just about anywhere else in the state. Good corn-growing territory. Alan plants several successions of sweet corn varieties, so he can get about eight weeks of corn harvest out of it. Hey, that means we’ve still got seven weeks to go!

Succulents from Phocas Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

After a brief hiatus, Phocas Farms is back at your Ballard Farmers Market. In fact, this will be the first late-summer we’ve got Jim here with his gorgeous succulents, and this time of year, they are in all their glory, hatching chicks, throwing flowers and exploding with color. You can plant succulents easily any time of year. But this time of year, you can really get a sense of what they look like at their peak.

Pickling cukes from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Perfect pickling cucumbers from Stoney Plains. You know, these pickling cukes always remind me of the late Bob Meyer, the patriarch of Stoney Plains, and a founding farmer of many farmers markets in Washington, as well as the Washington Tilth Producers. For years, I have made my pickles using these cukes. And I always think of my friend, Bob, and I miss him. But he lives on in the wonderful produce his family still brings to Market every week, year round. You can order your pickling cukes by the 25 pound bag from Stoney Plains, sized to your needs, and they can even set you up with pickling dill, also now in season.

Bath-sized plain goat milk soap from Harmony's Way. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Harmony’s Way raises milk goats. And with the milk those goats produce, they make soap. This soap. See, goat milk soap is very mild on your skin, so if you are sensitive to many other soaps, you might want to give this soap a try. And this particular soap, pictured above, is their new bath-sized bar of plain, as in scent-free, goat milk soap. Treat yourself to some soapilicious luxury today!

Clayton Burrows of Alm Hill Gardens in one of the tomato hot houses. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another farm I visited this past week was Alm Hill Gardens. Here, farm manager Clayton Burrows stands in one of their tomato hot houses and explains the difference between determinant and indeterminant tomato plants. The indeterminant ones will just keep growing taller and taller, producing more and more fruit, so farmers string them up like this in hot houses to help them do their thing. You can see lots of ripening beefsteak tomatoes lower on these plants. Indeed, some of these very tomatoes will likely be at your Ballard Farmers Market today!

Romanian beef sausages in fresh sauce by Chef Tara Mielke of La Spiga. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sea Breeze Farm makes a lot of amazing artisan sausages. One of my favorites is this Romanian beef sausage, but they don’t make it very often. In fact, I’ve been begging them to make it for months! Well, they have it today. In the photo above, Chef Tara Miekle of La Spiga prepared some on Friday at our Madrona Farmers Market in a fresh sauce she made from Market tomatoes, garlic, onions and fennel, then sliced and served it on some Tall Grass baguette. Oh, yeah, baby. That’s living!

There is much more waiting for you at your Ballard Farmers Market today. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now. And please remember to vote for your Ballard Farmers Market in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest!