Weiser Farmers Market opens for eighth summer season

Vendors were doing fairly steady business on Thursday at the first outdoor Weiser Farmers Market of the season at the depot.
 Any and all shade from the afternoon sun was welcome with the temperature hovering right around 100 degrees. The heat didn’t stop customers in search of fresh produce, fruit, tasty baked goods and crafts from venturing down to the depot in the heat.
 The first market can sometimes be a little early in the season for some veggies. The variety of produce will increase as summer winds down and harvests get underway. Look for local onions, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, peppers, green beans and much more straight from the field to the market.
 Vendor Roy Praeger, who owns Weiser Lavender with his wife Coralie, said his tomato plants are loaded, but the crop is still a little green.
 “Hopefully, I will have ripe ones next week,” he said. “They are still as green as grass yet.”
 In addition to produce from his garden, Praeger also sells handcrafted soaps and oils at the farmers market made from 11 varieties of lavender he grows on Pioneer Road in Weiser. He also had fresh green beans and zucchini for sale.
 Weiser-area resident Frank Stirm bought some zucchini from Praeger. He also bought some peaches fresh from Kelley Orchards and sweet corn from the Beams family.  
 Delbert Kuntz picked up some sweet corn and eggplant at Thursday’s market. He said he likes the eggplant simply prepared – sliced, breaded and fried in the pan.
 “I got what I wanted,” he said.
 Ron and Kimi Kelley were busy at the farmers market selling big, juicy peaches from their orchard off Hill Road south of Weiser. The family owned business also sells fresh and dried fruit at the Boise farmers market and at their store next to the orchard.
 The peach crop really did well this year in the size of the fruit and the quantity and quality, Ron said. He attributed the bountiful harvest to a lack of really hot temperatures in June and July that allowed the peaches to grow steadily without heat stress.
 Along with fresh fruit and veggies, the farmers market featured a dozen vendors selling everything from homemade huckleberry ice cream and sno-cones to handcrafted totes and purses to jams and jellies to goat soap, handmade hot pads and coasters and much more. One vendor had mason bee houses for sale.
 The farmers markets also feature live entertainment. Local musician Toni Greer and Country Freedom entertained the crowd and other musicians are booked for this week and next week.
 The nonprofit Weiser River Resource Council organized the first Weiser Farmers Market eight years ago and continues to run the popular weekly event. The markets are held on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They will be held every Thursday through Sept. 12.
 Weiser’s farmers market was established by the WRRC to give local growers a place to sell their fruits and vegetables and local shoppers a place to buy farm fresh veggies. Vendors at the Weiser market can accept EBT and food stamps (SNAP) for purchases of fresh fruit and produce.
 Rental prices for vendor spaces have not changed this year and remain highly reasonable for sellers. The cost is $5 per week and the depot charges another $5 for electricity, if needed. Vendors set-up begins at 4 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a vendor can contact Jim Felton at (208) 549-1050.
 Visitors to the Weiser farmers market can sign up for upcoming drawings. The market will give away three market bags with $20 worth of Weiser market bucks to spend with the vendors. The drawings will be held on Aug. 8, Aug. 22 and Sept. 5.