Join us every Saturday from 9 to 1 at the Mint Hill Historic Village off Highway 51 in downtown Mint Hill. Follow us here for updates, vendor spotlights and more.
Friday, May 27, 2011
This week!!!
Tomorrow we will have some great vendors as always!
Rachel Hoover with Clayful Whimsy will be there selling hand done clay pieces!!
Jeffrey Miller with the Matter Man will be there
Evelyn Smith, will there for her first time at the market. Selling baked goods such as muffins, biscuits, sweet breads (spiced apple, zucchini, etc), cookies, artisan breads, yeast breads, scones, etc and will also have sausage biscuits available for the vendors and early shoppers!!!!
And Scott Carriker will be there selling Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers/BBQ/Hot Dogs/Grilled Chicken/Chips & Drinks!!!
Come by and see us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rain or Shine 9-1 !!!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Another Week!
Here are just a few vendors you will be seeing this week and what they have to offer!!!
Dan Cosgrove will be here this weekend with Barnhardt Farm & Vineyard. He will be saleing strawberries, turnips, turnip greens, birdhouses, Japanese maple trees, and the first peaches of the year!Come by and see him!!!!
Scotte Carriker will be there saleing
BBQ - $3.00 for sandwiches
$7.00 for a pound or plate (plate comes with chips, slaw & a roll)
Whole boston butts $25.00
Hamburgers $3.00 and Cheeseburgers $3.50 - Hamburger combo for $4.50 or Cheeseburger combo $5.00 (chips & drink)
Drinks $1.00 Chips $1.00
1/4 Grilled chicken plate (comes with slaw, chips & roll) $4.00 for leg/thigh or $5.00 for breast
Homemade almond pound cake $1.00 a slice
Deannie Barr will be there saleing her fabulous soaps!
Rachel Hoover will be there with her amazing clay products with Clayful Whimsy!
I, Amanda Lobo, will be there with La Laventana! I sale Repurposed pieces of all types!!!!!
Val Hietala will be there saleing her fabulous wool products! She will be spinning alpaca yarn and selling yarn, shawls, alpaca toys, barbie sweaters handknit from our alpaca yarn & baby items made form alpaca yarn.
Val is also the in the Vendor spotlight for this week and here is a little bit of information about her!!!
"We started our alpaca farm in 2005 with two "pet boys" so that I would have alpaca fiber to spin with. We then got into breeding alpacas and have enjoyed watching our babies grow up! Shearing is once a year which we are currently doing. Nothing is as cute as a baby alpaca. "See the pictures below of some!
"We will be having more babies due in late Oct. this year.
Alpacas are easy to raise, gentle in nature and very adorable. They eat hay
and grain.
Alpaca fiber and products are hypo- allergenic and non scratchy (not like wool) and also naturally anti microbical."
Val has a BS degree in Agriculture and MS in Ecology and was a prior teacher of agrisciences.
See Everyone there tomorrow!!! We love our local farmers market!!! Buy local!!!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Vendor Spotlight: Michele Simmons
When asked how she got started making soap, Michele says:
” My mother brought some all-natural soap from Texas. I liked it so well I have never used commercial soap again, for me or my family. However, I wanted to tailor it to my own tastes. First I researched the properties of the different oils you can use in soap. I wanted something that would be good for my skin type. As I learned about making soap, I developed my own recipes to suit different needs. Almost immediately, I decided to use only natural ingredients, nothing synthetic. To color the soap, I focused on botanicals and spices that retain their color through the soap-making process. In addition, the use of essential oils imparts the properties of those oils. For example, lavender though calming to the senses, is also antiseptic which means it helps to kill germs. Peppermint oil provides a cooling feeling on the skin in the summer and helps to open clogged airways when used in a hot shower. Some people with sensitivity to smells tolerate essential oils very well."
Most of the soaps Michele sells are either castile which comes from olive oil or what she calls a “silk” soap which has a combination of heavier oils that makes it especially moisturizing. Since her soap is all-natural many of her “flavors” depend on seasonal availability but the ones you are likely to find most often are Peppermint, Orange Blossom, Wild Berry Tea with lavender, Sweet Summer Sun, Lavender and Poppyseed, Classic Lavender (silk), Oatmeal and Honey (silk), a spicy blend called Bobby and Old Time Soap which is the old-fashioned soap made in Grandma's back yard.
Though a resident of Matthews, Michele heard about the Mint Hill Farmers Market through a home-school friend and fell in love with the Historic Village the first time she visited (obviously a woman of good taste). After purchasing a total of 27 books from the old schoolhouse book sale (I told you she had good taste) it was time to start selling her own wares at the Market. Michele says, “This is my first year selling my soap at the Farmer's Market and I have been much encouraged by all of the people that I have met.”Like many of us, Michele loved the Mint Hill Farmers Market because of its friendly atmosphere that makes it more like a gathering of friends.
In a world focused on business growth, Michele has a refreshing take on where she sees her business going in the future.
"I want to keep my business small enough to work in my home so that I can focus on providing a good and useful product to customers that I know and can help while continuing to make my family my priority. After the busyness of life, it is very satisfying and peaceful to work with my hands to make a product that is really useful to people. Lately I have realized how much wisdom is included in the words of Proverbs 31:31 about the value of the fruit of our hands and Ecclesiastes 5:20 speaks of God keeping us busy with the joy of our hearts...isn't that beautiful?"
Be sure to come by the farmers market this weekend to see Michele and try some of her wonderful soap! Here is a picture of Michele with her youngest child, Nora Paige at a local bike rally.
The What's What for the Farmers Market 5/14/11
We are looking forward to welcoming Valerie Hietala of Happy Hills Alpaca Farms on the 21st. She will be spinning alpaca yarn in the Country Store and will be selling yarn, shawls, alpaca toys, barbie sweaters, and baby items handknit from her alpaca yarn. Look forward to seeing her vendor spotlight next week!
The Cupcake vendor Linda Rivenbark will not be able to join us this weekend but there will be plenty of other delicious treats to enjoy and we look forward to her speedy return.
In more food news, Scott Carriker will be there on Saturday with ¼ grilled chicken plates (with slaw, chips, and roll) for $4.00 for leg/thigh and $5.00 for breast. Grilled hamburgers ($3.00) and cheeseburgers ($3.50). Make those a combo this week for only $4.50 for hamburger, $5.00 for cheese burger. He will have cold drinks and chips seperately for just a dollar each and homemade blueberry pound cake for just $1.00 a slice.
Barnhardt Farm & Vineyard will be at the market with strawberries, turnips, radishes, japanese maple tree seedlings, and might bring a birdhouse or two.
Olive Branch Fresh Produce or Joe and Wanda, will be there Saturday with tomatoes, squash, corn, red potatoes, okra, beans, onions, melons, and other yummy veggies as well as an assortment of tomato plants at their usual great prices.
Rachel Hoover of Clayful Whimsy will be there rain or shine and demonstrating kickwheel throwing (shine) or available for chit-chat about pottery and her upcoming plans to demo (rain). In the kiln for next week are some Big-Gulp mugs, lidded jars and hopefully some flower rings.
Greenworks will also be there this week with: Asparagus, Baby carrots, Radishes, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Cucumbers, Greens (Collards & Turnips), Romaine Hearts, Broccoli, Spring Vidalia Onions, Herbs, Squash, Zucchini, Kale, Water plants, and Bedding plants
Thanks to everyone who makes the Mint Hill Farmers Market Possible!
Shop Local, Buy Local, Thrive Local!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Opening weekend May 7th
Julia Cox will be celebrating Mother's Day at her booth with jewelry buy 2 get the 3rd half off (lowest priced item) and stocking flowers 3 for $5.
Remember if you are vendor who's having a special or a sale upcoming be sure to send it to mhhs1985@gmail.com so I can post it on the blog and send it out in the emails. If I miss your email feel free to just add it in the comments section or post it to our facebook.
A Happy Mother's Day to everyone and lets hope we all have a great opening day!
Shop local, Thrive local!