A penchant for pickles spread quickly as folks lined up Saturday to relish a popular new product at the Clarkston Farmers? Market.
The market, which kicked off its fourth season last weekend, is host to about 30 new and returning vendors this year, including McClure’s Pickles.
Joe McClure, who packs pickles with his parents, brother and a longtime family friend, set up at the Clarkston market across from Depot Park for the first time, and plans to return with more of the popular product next week.
The market is open Saturdays between 8 a.m. and noon
‘It’s the time and effort we put in,? McClure said in an attempt to explain the enthusiasm surrounding his booth. ‘We use our own spices and seasonings, plus each jar is hand-packed.?
With a pickle-packing punchiness, he grinned and added a final thought:
‘It’s the love we put in the jar.?
Down the way, a number of others were arriving for the first time as well, including several new blueberry growers.
‘We’ve been pruning and cutting back for several years to encourage the crop,? said Marie Norton, who’s working with her daughter Melissa Malan to bring her parent’s farm back to life after a 10-year standstill. ‘Yesterday, we picked a hundred pounds.?
After a decade without chemical pesticides or herbicides, the berries offered by the mother-daughter duo are ‘naturally grown.?
A number of other vendors were offering natural or organic products, as well.
In just four hours, 1,033 people visited the market to stock up on seasonal farm-fresh fruits and veggies’and discover an abundance of other locally produced items along the way.
Some vendors offered llama and alpaca fiber, watercolor paintings, soaps or fresh-cut flowers while others sold edibles like eggs, granola, honey, baked goods, and peanut butter.
Rose Szubielak of Full Moon Garden was happy to be back at the Clarkston market after drought and other farm issues kept her away last year.
Szubielak dedicates about 5 of her ten acres to farming, specializing in garlic and herbs.
‘I’ve been to a lot of markets, and this is by far the best,? she said, noting she drives in from Columbiaville, a small town situated about 10 miles north of Lapeer. ‘The attitude of the people here is different’they care about the farmer, they appreciate the farmer, and that makes us feel good. Farming is hard work, and it’s nice to be appreciated.?
And appreciated they were. Throughout the market, people lingered, chatted and enjoyed the friendly, small-town atmosphere.
‘We absolutely love it,? said Lake Orion resident Kris Remenar, who was browsing the market with her kids Julia and Joe. ‘We’ll definitely be spending our Saturday mornings here this summer.?
The Clarkston Farmers? Market is a non-profit service run by about 10 volunteers from the community, and financed by donations, in-kind gifts and basket sales.
Under the big yellow umbrella near the market’s entrance, organizers sell baskets that not only help cover costs but also support a village of weavers in Ghana.
‘Rescued? red wagons are also available near the market entrance for shoppers toting toddlers, planning to stock up or just feeling nostalgic.
Market manager Anissa Howard said she was pleased with the market’s growth over the past three seasons, noting she was ‘right on target with vendors,? and even had some who were eager to make sure their spots were reserved.
‘The first couple of years I was recruiting and recruiting and recruiting,? she said. ‘The wonderful thing this year was that I had so many people calling me saying they wanted to sell at our market. People are returning and seeking us out, and that feels good. They like the town, and they like the market.?
Although the vendors had most of the basics covered with a nice selection of specialty products mixed in, Howard said she’d love to see a couple of additions.
Although market organizers are making coffee available, a new coffee vendor would be quite welcome.
‘I’d also love to get a mushroom grower and some goat products,? she said.
The 2008 market season opened July 19th and runs Saturdays through October 11th. The market will be closed September 20, however, when the Clarkston Historical Society hosts its decades-old tradition of Art in the Village.