Clay Center Farmers Market Sets Schedule of Events

The Clay Center Farmers Market has set a schedule of events to keep things exciting at the Clay Center, Kansas, courthouse square. 

"We want to continue to support the community and find ways to say thank you to the many customers visiting the courthouse square every Saturday," says market vendor Shawna Pederson. 

The events start Memorial Weekend, with free US flags and patriotic stickers for customers on Saturday, May 29. Poppies will also be on sale to support our veterans.

June 5 is CCARE Day at the market. Not only is it Bring Your Pet to Market Day, but CCARE will also be having a bake sale and fundraising for CCARE will be encouraged throughout the market. There will also be treats for our animal friends. For safety reasons, we do ask pets to be on leashes or in carriers.

You have seen what the Mural Movement's artists can do on a wall. Come to market June 12 to see what they can do with a sidewalk. On June 12, we will celebrate our Mural Movement with a fundraising day. Sidewalk chalk will be provided for kids to make their own artwork, and our featured artists will be showing off their magic with chalk, as well. Maps will be available for walking tours of our community's newest artwork. 

June 19 the Clay Center Farmers Market will celebrate Father's Day, with free goodies for all dads at the market. 

June 26 is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, and what better way to celebrate than by coming down to the market for a homemade peanut butter cookie, or any of the many other cookies, cakes, and breads available at the market every Saturday.

July 3 we will celebrate Independence Day by once again show off our red, white, and blue pride, with free flags for customers and patriotic stickers for the kiddos. 

"Our Clay Center market continues to grow in the number of vendors, but to support those vendors, we need our customers to continue to visit the market," says vendor Linda Sleichter. "Hopefully, these events will encourage new customers to check out the wide variety of products for sale at our market each Saturday."

2021 Market Vendor Rules

 

Clay Center Farmers Market 2021 Market Rules

Hours of Operation, Dates and Location

1. Market Operation:  Market will begin on Saturday April 17, 2021 and end on October 30th 2021. Exception: we will not have a market during Piotique weekend.  
2. Market hours are:     Saturday Morning from 8:00 am – 11:00 am
3. Market Location:  Westside of the Courthouse, Clay Center
4. Parking and stall set up is on a First Come, First Serve basis. However, vendors should allow a vendor that requires electricity to park near the center main sidewalk or near the south green light post.  Please do not take up an area larger than necessary.
5. Vendors may begin to sell when they are ready.  They are encouraged to stay until 11.

Vendor Responsibilities

1. Vendors are expected to follow the regulations and best practices as outlined in this publication: Food Safety for Farmers Markets: Regulations and Best Practices. 
2. Vendors are expected to be good ambassadors for the market.  Smoking or the use of profane language is highly discouraged.  Socially acceptable behavior is expected in order to keep customers coming back throughout the season.
3. Vendors should keep their booth areas neat and clean.  They are also responsible to clean up their area at the end of the market.
4. Vendors are expected to bring their own tables, chairs and display items.  The use of umbrellas and canopies are allowed.
5. Vendors are encouraged to participate in any market activities that promote products, inform or entertain customers.

Fees

1. All vendors are offered two free market days each season.
2. After the two free days are used, it is $5.00 each market day up to $25.00 per season. A vendor may choose to just pay $25 dollars for the season.
3. 2021 Fees should be paid to Linda Sleichter or, if she is not in attendance, to John Gier.
4. Fees are non-refundable.

Acceptable Products and Pricing

1. The Clay Center Farmers Market on Saturday Morning is a “Producer Only” Market.  Everything sold is grown in Kansas, prepared or crafted by its vendors.  NO RESELLING OF PRODUCE OR PRODUCT IS ALLOWED.  Vendors selling resale items will be asked to remove them from their displays or will be asked to leave the market.  If the item can be proven that it is being locally grown, by the vendor, a farm visit by the market manager or farmers market officer will be made prior to it being sold at the next market day. 
2. It is the VENDOR’S RESPONSIBILITY, not the Farmers Market, to be in compliance with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas Department of Health and the Enviroment, the Kansas Division of Weights and Measures and the Kansas Department of Revenue pertaining to the sale of produce with the market area.  You may request a copy of the Kansas Rural Center Sustainable Agriculture Management Guides as a general guide to assist you. It can also be downloaded at. www.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/RRRFM.pdf
3. Vendors set their own prices, but are strongly encouraged to remain competitive with other vendors  The goal in the market is to achieve a price that is equal to or exceeds regular retail prices because of the high quality of the produce/product for sale.  Produce/product is not to be given away except in small samples, nor is it to be sold at substantially lower prices than other vendors. 

Questions? Please contact Linda Sleichter at lindasleichter@yahoo.com or 785-630-0673.

    

Salsa Competition This Saturday

This Saturday, August 27 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., we are hosting our second annual salsa competition. And I, for one, am ready and waiting to taste the entries!

The competition is open to the public, both to compete and to judge. Anyone interested in competing should bring their fresh salsa (no canned entries allowed) to the August 27 Farmers Market, before 9:30 a.m. Registration will be that day at the westside of the Courthouse square.

There is a $5 entry fee to compete and a requested $1 donation to judge. The salsa entries will be judged in three categories: Best of Show, Hottest, and Most Unique. The winner of each category will receive a $20 Clay Center gift certificate.

Clay County Grill-Off Tomorrow!

After weeks of preparing, ready or not -- it's Grill-Off time! The pantry and spice cabinet are stocked; supplies prepped; tables and tents reserved. Judges are confirmed ... and hungry. And the contestants -- teams from The Blue Herron, Danny's, Tailgaters, and Twin Valley's Cooking in the Valley -- are ready to cook.

How does this all work tomorrow? After introductions, we will introduce the four mystery ingredients that the chefs must include in their dishes. The participants then have until 9:20 a.m. to shop the market and select what market offerings they want to include, in addition to the mystery ingredients. They will also have access to a fully stocked pantry -- thanks to Ray's Applemarket -- and spice rack -- thanks to Clay Gourmet. (Those spices are currently sitting in my house, and my goodness do they smell great!)

At 9:30, the clock starts. The teams have one hour to prepare a meal for the judges. At 10:30, time is up. And the meals are served. From the four dishes, the lucky judges will get to select the 2011 Grill-Off Champion.

Just as the contestants are probably getting their stuff in order for tomorrow, so are our market vendors. As with most Friday nights, our vendors are probably picking a few more vegetables, packing up what can be packed the night before, laying out the rest to be loaded in the morning.

And what's going to be at market tomorrow? Tomatoes, potatoes, onions, beets, squash, green beans, swiss chard, sweet corn, okra, breads, baked goods, buffalo, flavored vinegars, eggs, milk, cheeses, and jams and jellies. We might even have some bell peppers, leeks, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, and a few other vegetables that are just coming into season. Oh, and we can't forget the crafts that come, too.