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.

Tonight's Market

Don't forget about tonight's Farmers Market, from 5-7 p.m., on the east end of Dexter Park. We'll have tomatoes, zucchini, onions, turnips, potatoes, peas, carrots, beets, jellies, and much more, all grown locally and picked fresh for this market.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday Market Starts This Week

The Wednesday night Clay Center Farmers Market kicks off this Wednesday, June 1, at the East side of Dexter Park in Clay Center. The Market will run from 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday in June and July. Customers can expect to find a wide variety of produce and products from area vendors. This week's offerings include salad mix, radishes, onions, turnips, carrots, breads and baked goods, jellies and jams, and much more.

We hope you will make it a weekly event to come down to Dexter Park, visit the Farmers Market, play in the new Safari Run, and enjoy the city band concert on Wednesday nights.

Farmers Market Annual Meeting

It's officially spring! Well, maybe not, but we can at least dream of warm, planting days to come.

We hope you can make it for our annual Clay Center Farmers Market Meeting, on Monday, March 14, 5:30 p.m. at the Clay County Extension Office (downtown). Everyone is invited, and we encourage those who plan to sell at the market this year to attend. We will discuss our plans, promotions, and rules for the coming season.

Hope to see you there!

Still Selling!

We've had a few customers ask if the market was over this month. Not at all! We will be selling Saturdays at the west side of the Courthouse through Halloween. The fall veggies are looking good, so make our Market part of your weekend routine.

6 days 'til Salsa Competition

Thanks to more support from Farm Bureau and a USDA Specialty Crops grants, our Farmers Market vendors are hosting another competition. And this one is open to everyone!

This Saturday at 9:30-11 a.m. we will be having a Salsa Competition. Bring your tastiest fresh salsa or pico de gallo -- no canned salsa allowed -- and enter to win a $20 gift certificate. Or, just come down to the Courthouse Square hungry and be one of our many judges. We are asking for a $5 donation to compete and $1 donation to judge, with all money raised going to the Dexter Park Playground Fund.

You certainly aren't limited to tomato salsa, either. Corn-bean salsa, watermelon salsa, mango salsa... whatever flavor you fancy, feel free to enter. We will award the hottest, Best of Show, and most unique.

Feel free to post any questions in the comments below. I hope to see you on Saturday.

Best part of tonight's meal

Tonight, we supplemented our supper with delicious Tomato Italian Season Bread toasted, with Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese melted on top. It was so delicious that I had to post it on here, before I even tackled the dishes. The bread is from Cherilynne Churchill; the cheese from Jason Wiebe Dairy. Thankfully, both are available at Saturday's Clay Center Farmers Market. Unfortunately, it's 5 days until the next Saturday market.

On the bright side, Cherilynne and her baked goods will be at Wednesday's market at Dexter Park. Joining her will be a handful of vendors with a delicious assortment of fresh veggies, so come on down.

Master Gardener's Recipe: Gazpacho

We are lucky and grateful to have our area Master Gardeners attend every Clay Center Farmers Market, to share their knowledge, their plants, and their recipes. And, oh, the recipes!

This past week, Reva C. brought Gazpacho to the market to sample. I've never had gazpacho, but it was absolutely delicious. And, it uses all the veggies that are currently in season. It was so delicious, I had to share it here. Thanks, Reva!

Gazpacho

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled

1/2 medium onion
1 large cucumber, peeled
1 red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Chop vegetables roughly, and this process in blender until liquified. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cold,  garnished with sour cream or chopped cucumbers and tomatoes.

Other variations I found add tabasco sauce or worchestershire sauce. Flavor it to match your family's preference.

Heat won't stop us!

The Wednesday market is on for tonight, even though the city band concert in Clay Center is cancelled because of the heat.  The market vendors will be there at 5, to sell our produce and products. I assume the other vendors plan to stay until 7; personally, it'll be too hot for my girls, so we'll be leaving around 6. So come early and get your goodies!

Congratulations, Mayberry's!

Congratulations to Rick Nye, owner of the soon-to-reopen Mayberry's in Washington, for winning the 2010 Clay Center Grill-Off! Thank you to Danny's, Tailgaters, and Ashlee Baker for participating and making the judges job so very difficult.  The food smelled DELICIOUS!

Thank you to our judges, too: Vern Swanson, Sharolyn Fleming-Jackson, Grace Oetinger, and Karra James.

And while we are listing our thanks:

• Thanks Phil Kasper and KCLY for covering the event
• Thanks Twin Valley for videoing it and posting it on Video On Demand
• Thanks Ray's Applemarket for the pantry items
• Thanks Clay Gourmet for the spices
• Thanks Wall's True Value for the water
• Thanks Common Ground for the kitchen space and tables
• Thanks Girtons for the grill and propane
• Thanks Pamida for the plates and other supplies
• Thanks Distinctive Images for the plaque
• Thanks Leaving Signs Behind for the banner
• Thanks Clay County National Bank for the citywide gift certificates
• Thanks Master Gardeners for all your help with setup and tear down
• Thanks to our 20 market vendors, and
• Thanks to our spectators and customers!

We hope you all enjoyed today as much as we did!

Grill-Off TOMORROW!!!!

Tomorrow is our first Clay Center Grill-Off!

Starring:

• Tailgaters
• Danny's Grill and Catering,
• Mayberry's

Featuring:

• Four mystery ingredients. No, I'm not going to be so foolish as to post them here!

Come join in the fun, root for your favorite chef, pick up some produce, and enter to win door prizes! We hope to see you there!

Two days to Grill-Off

Two more days! So much to do!

We are excited to have KCLY at our Grill-Off this Saturday. They will be doing a sort of play-by-play of the event and helping us get the word out about the specialty crops and other offerings at our Farmers Market.

While a bulk of our funding has come from Farm Bureau, we have been blessed to receive support from many businesses in the community:

• Ray's Apple Market has donated the basic pantry ingredients for the chefs
• Clay Gourmet has donated all the spices for the pantry
• Wall's True Value has donated reverse-osmosis water for the chefs to use
• Common Ground is giving us access to their kitchen, as well as tables
• Leaving Signs Behind is printing our signage
• Distinctive Images is creating our awards
• Chamber of Commerce is the source of the Clay Bucks and is helping promote the event
• Twin Valley is planning to film the event and put it on their video-on-demand
• Clay Center Dispatch is also helping get the word out

You can't do a community event without community support. Clay Center, thankfully, is loaded with community support. Thank you all!

Three Days to Grill-Off

Just three more days until the first Clay Center Grill-Off. We are very grateful to Kansas Farm Bureau and Clay County Farm Bureau. They not only are supporting this event financially, but also have given time and effort to make it happen. Thanks to the USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program through a sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, we have been able to promote specialty crops in Kansas. So, thank you, Farm Bureau!

What are specialty crops? Honey, vegetables, nuts, fruits... that sort of thing, the very foods that make up our Farmers Market. This Saturday, we expect to have sweet corn (first of the season!), onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, beets, bell peppers, eggs, buffalo, baked goods, jams, jellies, and much more.



Saturday, July 10
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Westside of Courthouse Square
Clay Center, Kansas

Four Days to Grill-Off

Four days to the first ever Clay Center Grill-Off!

So, you know which team you want to cheer on. (Is it Danny's, Mayberry's, Tailgaters, or The Blue Herron?) But why else should you come down Saturday morning? Well, here are five great reasons:

1. Pick up a bag of fresh, locally grown produce
2. Sample the flavorful foods available at our Farmers Market
3. Sign up to win one of our many door prizes
4. Learn more about the nutritional aspect of the featured foods
5. Get new ideas on how to create your own culinary masterpiece
   

Five Days to Grill-Off

Five days until the 2010 Clay Center Grill-Off! We are excited to have four fabulous chefs competing in the first year of this event:

• Danny's
• The Blue Herron
• Mayberry's
• Tailgater's

These restauranteers will not know which Farmers Market products are on the menu until Saturday morning. Mark your calendar and come on down to cheer on your favorite chef.

Saturday, July 10
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Westside of Courthouse Square
Clay Center, Kansas

This project is supported in part by the USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program through a sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Funding assistance is also provided by the Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and Clay County Farm Bureau Association.

Happy July 4th!

We hope you all have a safe, fun Independence Day weekend! Hopefully the rain won't put a damper on your plans.

July 3 Market News

Tomorrow's Saturday market will be a bit different, but will still offer the great produce and products you expect.

Because of the Third of July celebration downtown, we will "part the sea" for the pancake feed. Our vendors will be set up on both ends of the block, with the pancake breakfast in the middle. So, you might have to walk a bit more for your goodies. But, on the bright side, we'll have extended hours. We have been asked to be set up by 7 a.m., and will sell until 11 a.m. So, come on down for the pancake breakfast, pick up goodies for your July 4th celebrations, enjoy the games and activities, and make it a day in downtown Clay Center.

What's at tomorrow's market? Red, white, and blue potatoes; cherry and big tomatoes; cucumbers; zucchini; onions; green beans; beets; homemade breads; donuts; buffalo meat; squash; jams and jellies; and much more! We hope you will stop by and make us a part of your Independence Day weekend.