The Worthington Winter Market- Come Check It Out!

-Posted by Jayne

Have you been to the Worthington Winter Market yet?  Many of our customers lament the end of the summer market season.  I just got an email this week that read, "I can't wait for the return of the summer Worthington market!"  While the Summer market is great, the Winter market is really awesome, too.

I can only believe that these folks have never given our Worthington Winter Market a chance.  So I thought I should take a little pictoral tour of our market so I could create a blog showcasing all the fine offerings of the winter market.

Let's start with the newest vendor: Prairie Fields Farm.  My friend Rachel Najjar blends amazing teas, makes handcrafted soap, salves, lip balms, AND to top it off- she raises her own sheep, spins and dyes the wool, and sells the hand-spun yarn at the market!

Pictured below, Dan the Baker always draws a large crowd with his display (and free samples!) of fresh bread.

Have you tried fresh pasta?  Maria's makes ravioli as you watch.

Or- if you are too impatient to have it made while you watch, grab a bag from their selection.

And just around the corner, bak serves up samples of their cinnamon rolls.  What's that I see?  Honeyrun Farm Fall honey?  Why yes- they use it in their pecan bars!

For the gluten free folks- there is Éban's Bakehouse.

And for the lovers of fermentation:  Kombu-Tea.  Also offering free samples.  It really does taste great!

I tried the Original and the Ginger-Goji, and I actually liked the Original the best.  They are only at the market every other week, but Raven Rocks has kombucha on alternate weeks.

If you head on up to the heart and soul of the market and you'll find a staple:  FRESH coffee.  Silverbridge roasts their coffee the day before they bring it to market.  And they love giving out free samples!

Have you met Dana and the crew from Dana Lee's Bakery and Catery?  They always have a huge display of baked goods, and offer snacks and pastries that are themed for parties (OSU vs. Ducks, holidays, etc) depending on the season.  

My favorite stop is Swainway Urban Farm- where you can find an assortment of Shiitakes and Oyster mushrooms.  They also have ginger!

Down the hall you'll find another great bread and bagel selection:  Sugar B. Bakery.  She makes an excellent Spinach Loaf.  I also love her bags of Mix'd Up Bagels- an assortment of 6 varieties of made-from-scratch bagels.

Now- the vegetables.  People think there are no vegetables grown in Ohio in winter-time, but that's just not true!  There is an abundance of storage crops you will find at market, such as:

Butternut Squash

Garlic:

And veggies grown in hoop houses, such as:  Kale

Not pictured here but also often found at Winter market:  Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Sprouts, Winter Squash, Beets, Potatoes, Salad Mix, and Avocado.  Haha, just kidding.  We don't even grow avocados in Ohio in the Summertime.  I was just making sure you were actually reading, not skimming.

There is an impressive display of apples from Gillogly.  Gold rush are my favorite.  Super crisp, sweet, and tart.

Turnips!

Freshly pressed cider!

And don't forget the meat!  Oink Moo Cluck has a lot to offer.  Do you think locally grown market meat is too expensive?  I've been doing some comparing, and it's just not true.  I have found that some of the local meat often beats out Kroger prices.  

Then you can stroll on down to the Honeyrun booth and check out our large supply of sample soaps.  

Lots of beeswax candles...

Bee Pollen- don't forget to start taking it every day NOW.  Don't wait until Spring when the pollens are in the air.  Your body has to get used to the stuff.

The cinnamon honey seems to fly off the shelf in the wintertime.

And we have a few squares of comb honey left.  Get it while you can, because it will be gone until the bees make more (usually by July).

You will get to meet our favorite "market Nanny" Linda.  She has been taking care of our baby Eden every market since the beginning of May.  What a blessing!

So if this pictoral tour of the Worthington Winter Market hasn't enticed you enough- I don't know what will.  You really need to come check it out for yourself.  For a complete list of who and what you will find there tomorrow, check out the market blog:  http://worthingtonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow you can bring your kids to make a free craft with market sprouts.  The Columbus Folk Music Society will be playing music (they also encourage children to play along with toy instruments they supply).  You can often find a face painter for children, and there is a large playground / slide area at the north end of the mall.

Or, do what we do- leave the older kids with the babysitter and make it a "market date."  There are so many great people to meet, vendors and customers alike.  Stop by and say hi!