Join us for Berry Day THIS Friday, July 18. This year Berry Sorbet will be available by the scoop as a fundraiser for the Market. We’ll have blueberry, strawberry, wineberry and mango. I know it’s not a berry but yum! and it’s grown without chemicals at a friends house in Florida. Thanks very much to River Ridge Organics for sponsoring this event since 2017. Sadly, the River Ridge Berry patch was destroyed in the flooding during Hurricane Helene. Windyhill Farm is the sorbet sponsor this year.
It’s also time for the Berry Dessert contest. Any dessert featuring berries is welcome! 1st place is $100! Remaining desserts will be sold as a fundraiser for the Market. Please bring your entry by 9am and make sure to put your name on your container so we can be sure to return it to you.
There is still time to enter the Haybale Contest. It’s a fun way to help advertise the County Fair and the winner gets $200. It’s people’s choice, so even if you don’t enter, vote for your favorite. We extended the deadline to Monday July 21 to give you and extra weekend to create your entry.
Help keep Town Park looking great. Join the Grayson Permaculture Group, Grayson Landcare, the IFM and the Town of Independence for a potluck and weeding session at Town Park July 24 from 5-7 pm. Are you curious about the orange flags around the retention pond at Town Park? Come see how the native seedlings fared this winter and help weed the planting. Join us from 5-6pm for weeding and plant discussion and plan to stay for a potluck afterward to reward your hard work! The Town of Independence will provide the main course. Bring a side or dessert to share. Contact Michelle Pridgen for more information. director@graysonlandcare.org
July ends with Take a Break from the Interstate, also known as HWY21 yard sale on July 25. The Independence Farmers Market is a producer Market. This is the only day IFM vendors can sell things they didn’t raise or make. Join the giant yardsale that stretches from Elkin to Wytheville on HWY 21. Be prepared for SLOW traffic and shoppers not paying attention as they rush across the street for bargains! It continues on Saturday as well.
August kicks off with the Tomato Festival. Join us Friday August 1st for the Annual Tomato Day. Enjoy a free tomato tasting, Healthy Kids Bucks and the Salsa Contest! The Salsa contest is People’s Choice. Bring a quart of salsa to the Market by 9:30. We’ll put it in sample cups and everyone tastes and votes for their favorite. First place is $100, Second $30 and third $20. Winner announced at 12:30. The free tomato tasting is a great way to try all the varieties at the Market and discover your favorite. Ms Andrea returns with Healthy Kids Bucks(HKB) for the first 50 kids to her tent. Each child will receive $10 of HKB to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey and plants that produce food. This round of HKB is sponsored by a local family. Don’t miss the fun and bring a friend. There is so much happening, we’ll skip Cooking Day this 1st Friday.
The 2nd week in August is National Farmers Week. This is a great time to make a donation to the IFM! We rely on our friends and customers to help support the Market. Would you like to sponsor a contest or event at the Market? Please talk to Michelle.
It’s also time for the Grayson County Fair August 8 and 9 at Bottomley’s Warehouse in Elk Creek. The Fair Foundation is actively working on finding a new venue for the Fair and knows that the location is a problem for many in our community. However, it’s a free event for all ages that continues to expand and provides a showcase for agriculture which is Grayson County’s primary industry. If you’d like to enter the fair competitions, bring your entry to Bottomley’s Wednesday August 6 from 3-7pm. Categories include vegetables and fruits, field crops, flowers and plants, arts and crafts, photography, baked and canned goods, quilts and honey. There is also a youth livestock show. In addition, citizen scientist Cliff Morse will be sharing the Grayson LandCare table at the Fair and will be talking about new Chestnut research from 9 to noon and showing how to do oxalic acid testing at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30. If you want to learn more, we will be meeting at his house on Sunday to read the test results and check out his chestnut plantings.
August 15 is Christmas in August and our last Fiber Day. Start shopping locally for the holidays and support our talented artisan community.
Join Grayson LandCare on August 18 at 6:45 to tour a local root cellar. Contact Michelle for directions if you’d like to join us.
Highlights in September include the new Garlic festival and Cooking Day September 5, Apple Festival on September 12, and Pepper Day on September 19. Several of our vendors participate in the Ag and Art Tour, which will be held September 6th this year.