KINGSTON FARMERS’ MARKETNEWS
Published 1:00 am Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Apple Fest and
a cup of autumn
Once again, summer is nearing its end and it’s time to reflect on my yearly trip with my husband’s side of the family. This time, our journey took us to lovely Redmond, Ore. I have to admit, I’m being sarcastic when I say lovely. To me, there isn’t much to view in the intensely hot high desert except for the striking contrast of the numerous golf courses.
We were staying at a resort that featured a farmers market once a week and I thought I’d check it out. There were the usual local craft vendors displaying their wares (not as crafty as Kingstons!), but I was mainly interested in picking up some locally grown food, if possible. Everything at the booths looked great until my eyes stopped at a small display of packaged Earthbound Farms carrots. As I scanned the rest of the booth I saw melons and – what the heck? – oranges!
Thinking this was quite odd, I asked the obvious, “Was any of this grown locally?” The seller’s reply was of course “no.” She simply exclaimed they got as much produce as they could each week, from sources as local as they could find. So I guess local meant carrots from California and corn from Yakima (this item in particular was deemed pretty local!). I honestly think I heard mention of New Zealand as well.
One the one hand they made an effort, but on the other the grocery store wasn’t too much further down the road. Feeling a little dismayed, I left with some nectarines from who knows where. Luckily, this was not the norm for farmers markets and I knew I’d be back soon enough to a very entertaining and locally produced market in lovely and lush Kingston. And you can be sure those folks won’t be having an Apple Fest!
That’s right, our first annual Apple Fest is coming up Sept. 27 and will coincide with Heritage Day. This will be a celebration of fall and its iconic apple. One of the great apple delicacies you won’t want to miss is the fresh-pressed cider. This is the month for that tangy, sweet, delectable treat. Every fall, my family heads over to Clint and Cindi Dudley’s house to press gallons of delicious cider. I have to say the Dudley’s apple cider is quite exquisite. My measly donation of King and Transparent apples is nothing compared to their 18 or so varieties.
You’ve probably heard of Gravensteins, Granny Smiths, or even Melroses. But do Karmijn de Sonneville or Muscadet de Dieppe ring a bell? When you have so many varieties to play with, you can’t help but get a complex and refreshing drink – like autumn in a cup! The Dudleys have definitely mastered this drink and you can get your paws on some when you visit the market for Apple Fest. Don’t forget to check out the music, too. We will be featuring Cort Armstrong and Friends with their old-timey Americana tunes.
Other bands playing this month are Cesar Medel Sept. 6 and Chordwood Sept. 20. See you there!
The Kingston Farmers Market takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in Mike Wallace Park at the Port of Kingston. For more information, go to www.kingstonfarmersmarket.com.
