I have a couple of new farms to visit today which are not too far from Frye Farm and Freshmater Farm in Buckner so I thought I would start there. Mark Frye has been a vendor at the Market for at least 14 years and his father Marlin started selling at the City Market in 2006. In addition to selling at the City Market Marlin and his wife and daughter run a roadside stand on Sibley Road north of Buckner. They have already started growing mums for the fall which will be here before we know it. I walked through the fields behind their business and it was obvious the creek has come over its banks a couple times this year. There first crop of tomatoes was clearly done producing but their second planting was thick with green tomatoes. They also have a high tunnel a neighbor down the road lets them use which was full of tomatoes. In addition to growing tomatoes, they are harvesting eggplant, green peppers, cantaloupe and watermelon. The Frye’s are in the Farmer w/ Local Supplement category so are allowed to supplement no more than 50% of what they bring to the market each day. The supplemented product must be harvested within the markets 500 mile radius. The Frye’s supplement peaches and a few other items from Beckners Orchard near Lexington, MO. They also bring produce from their son/brothers farm located a few miles away. Mark Frye is at the City Market every Saturday in stalls 27-28 and Marlin Frye is at the Market on Saturday’s stalls 129-131 and most Sundays.

My next stop is only a few miles down the road in Sibley, Missouri. Amanda Hall was just headed out to their family’s farm to pick watermelons, perfect timing since I would have never known to drive so far out in the fields. Amanda's family farm approximately 60 acres of produce which they sell at area farmers markets and to grocery stores. Needless to say they were growing a lot of corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons, onions, potatoes and egg plant. Amanda will be selling at the Sunday Farmers Market later this month.

Of the Earth Farm Distillery will be my last stop for the day. You might have heard, on the local news that City Market will now be allowed to have vendors who make locally produced wine, malt beverages and distilled spirits. Jim Pearce will be the first vendor to sell whisky and brandy which is mad in his distillery from fruits which are grown on his farm. I must admit I have never visited a distillery. After much research and lots of inspections and permits Jim produced his first bottle of Eau de Vie in December of 2013. Since that time he has added a few new selections, visit www.oftheearthfarm.com for more information on the farm and how he became interested in opening a distillery. In addition to selling spirits Jim will also sell Asian pears and apples which are harvested in the family’s 7 acre orchard. Jim currently grows 26 varieties of apples and 2 varieties of Asian pears. After walking through the orchard and distillery I got to meet Jim’s heard of sheep, his lama, which is more of a watch dog over the heard and the pigs. Jim will also be selling lamb and pork at the Market. This was a very interesting farm visit, if all goes well with Jim's final permits he should be selling his products at the market within the next week or so.