Thursday, July 13, 2017

Not Your Mother's Farmers Market

NEWS FLASH ... for those interested, the Northwest Winds Kite Store has closed it's doors.  The owners decided to retire in June.  At this time, there is no kite store in Seaside.  So sad ...... back to regular programming.

I always thought Farmers Markets were full of fruits and vegetables ... you know, like what farmers grow.  I would be wrong.  Just a note for those heading North, the Newport Farmers Market, a really REALLY good one, has finally found a spot ... hopefully a permanent one.  As you drive up Highway 101, it used to be located to the left, squished in to a small area with no parking.  It has now moved directly across the road, in the big parking lot immediately South of the school.  YAY for them!!  If you're going through town, it's definitely worth a stop.

Seaside residents on the other hand, don't support their Farmers Market nearly as well.  I must say it's three times the size it was when I walked it's borders last year, but still doesn't hold a candle to Newport or Lincoln City.  Maybe because this is more of a tourist town.
Having been a farmer of cattle and rice, I always try to support these guys.  Come on, although not your Mother's farmers market, they are small business people trying to eek out a living.  We can all let loose some of that green stuff to help them out.

These guys caught my eye first, of course.  They are my favorite ice cream shop in town.  Not exactly farmers, but they make artisanal gelato ... like the best stuff on the planet.  I had a small cup of caramel filled with homemade candied nut brittle (with a little honey thrown in).  
It was worth every single penny of the $3.00 I paid for it.  Yes, you can go to the store any time, but you won't find this on the menu.  Besides that, you probably won't get to meet the nice owners either.
Is it more expensive?  Yes it is, but where else can you get smoked portobello mushroom pasta?  You don't even need sauce with THIS pasta!!
More like a craft fair, there were several jewelry makers, a nice lady who made the cutest backpacks for kids and a Rasta couple (originally a Jamaican sect ... I'm sure you would recognize the hair) who were giving Taro readings.  Much as I would love to know the future, I'm pretty sure there's more cooking disasters coming that I don't want to know about.

There was an entire stand of bakery goods, including this sourdough cinnamon bread.  It sounds better than it tasted, but toasted and smothered in butter, it will be yummy.
I present to you Dog Bites.  Isn't that what you read when you first looked at the picture?  I thought ... what a cute name!!  WRONG!!  BOG bites is full of whole dried cranberries, soft, plump and delicious!!  The perfect snack to haul around in my backpack.
Our soap and scent guy was there ... I think he's at every Farmers Market on the coast.  Miss Patty will know of whom I speak.  He's a big time salesman and is probably very knowledgable, just not so personable.  I passed.  

Here's a new one ... a young kid at his first Farmers Market.  I honestly don't know if he is part of this company, or just making extra money selling it.  What he does do is give out lots of samples of flavored caramel.  Interesting name ... One Fork Farm.  At any rate, these caramels are absolutely the bees knees!!  Individually wrapped in long flat packages, they are soft, melt-in-your-mouth YUMMY!!  
My quest for a vacuum cleaner didn't work out any better than my quest for vegetables.  Zilch, nada on both counts.  Neither Fred Meyer nor Costco had anything resembling the cordless contraption I require ... actually Costco had the Dyson for $339 (Yikes!!), so I passed.  I better find something quickly.  As I stood up after playing with Cooper on the floor, I had a half inch of Jessie hair on my pants.

This morning on our early morning walk, all three of us got soaking wet.  It's raining that misty wet stuff like the "shower" setting on your hose attachment.  No worries, I'm sure it will clear up in time for a trip to the beach this afternoon.  I might as well see if I can remember how to set up a kite.





13 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had fun at the Farmers Market.
    If you have a good Inverter in your RV just buy a small corded Vacuum. They are less then half the price and work better.
    Now have more fun and "Go Fly a Kite".
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. I've been spoiled. I LOVE my little cordless vacuum. Two out of three made now are not expensive ... if I can just find one!!

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  2. How about from Amazon with that vacuum...two day shipping should get it there on time before you move on.

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    1. I could probably do that Dave ... waiting until I move again. The next stop has a better post office!!

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  3. Check out the Amazon deal of the day today. Refurbished vac for $184.
    Bshart@wk.net

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    1. Gee, I didn't know they sold refurbished ones. That's a pretty good deal!

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  4. Nancy have you been to the Sat/Sunday Farmers Market in Astoria yet???? It's huge.

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    1. I've been there many times, but not this trip .... yet. I'll stop by Sunday!

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  5. Northwest winds and kites was sold to a new owner husband and wife
    The name remain the same,, but the only store is Lincoln city
    The name is the same the website is the same the telephone number is the same
    my Conversation with the new owner was more than pleasant
    They didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of the seaside store. besides and difficult in the logistics
    I didn't not ask if there taken over the manufacturing portion of the company

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    1. Good to know. The previous owners were very nice, as were all of their employees. It's sad to see this one close. I suppose kite flying isn't as popular as it once was.

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    2. I think one ,, a lot of times it boils down to the fact that once you buy your first set of kites you have, there going to be your permanent play toys
      Most kites are a large investment
      I don't think it's one of those things ,that you walking through a kite shop and say oh I need this this and this and walk out with $699 to add to your already expensive collection
      But to get a 50 or $75 kite for the days flying with your children that's where a good kite shop will come in handy
      Along with online sales.. after Being around kites Long enough you know what you're looking for. an as online sales become less expensive you're more apt to use that instead

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  6. What's really interesting is when you get vendors that Are truly vendors people that sell their homemade product wares and home grown vegetables
    what really frost my cake in the worst way is vegetables sellers
    They're not farmers they go to the produce wholesaler buy wholesale sell higher then retail One can go to Walmart and get the same thing cheaper that a vegetable seller is selling
    All one has to do is look at the boxes that the vegetables seller has stacked up And on display
    A true farmer he'll bring it in a basket
    Of all the produce market we went to up-and-down the Oregon coast the only one that was a true farmer was one in Tillamook selling his Farm grown vegetables out of bushel baskets and it still have the dirt on it

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    1. I know some vendors do exactly that ... buy from wholesalers. I'm not sure about these guys though. When I go to the Astoria Sunday Market, I'll do some investigating!!

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