Ratz! At least you didn't make your usual supply. In this case "snooze you lose" didn't come into play. Have a good day off.

Rained out? The Minneapolis Farmer's Market goes on whether it's rain or snow. And the farmer's that sell meat, eggs and cheese - along with everyone else that wants to show up sell every other Saturday in the Winter. Yup - even if it's -30 they are there.

I'm sure there are people that think that is crazy!

Up North Teresa

Up North Teresa, your farmers market is probably under some kind of shed.. overhang... protection? Or maybe they are crazy...lol. What we've seen of Teresa's everyone brings their own at hers. Customers aren't real fond of schlepping through the rain to stop at tables/stands.

Teresa, I sure bet the sleeping in felt good. It hasn't happened that often. Just glad you hadn't made a lot of bread.

Some of the stands are under roofs and an equal number are not. When doucanoe and I met there last year I think she described it as 6 blocks. It is a huge place.

"Customers aren't fond of schlepping through the rain to stop at tables/stands."

Someone at that market should sell umbrellas. Here in Minnesota people will make the trek in any kind of weather to get what they want.

funny....the web sites for the one on Nicolette and on north Lyndon and the market in St Paul all say open from May through November....but I do know it can get mighty cold in November in Minnesota.
Here the farmer's markets are never "rained out" but many fewer customers show up and on a rainy or cold and windy day many vendors decide that it's not worth their time and discomfort to sit in the wet and the cold for only a few customers.
Teresa I hope you have a freezer to store your baked goods in when you get rained out. Hoping you have a good fall season for the Market.
Linda C

Our Farmer's Market is never rained out either. And we get a lot of rain. The market is most active between April and October, but it does operate most of the year. I think it closes for a couple of weeks in January. Once harvest season is over, most of the vendors that show up are the artists/artisans and specialty food vendors, like bakers, meat, cheese and preserves.

Some vendors set up their own tents/covers, but many just set up their tables.

Since we are now heading into our rainy season, I'll have to remember to keep an umbrella in the car on market days.

Ann

".....but many fewer customers show up and on a rainy or cold and windy day many vendors decide that it's not worth their time and discomfort to sit in the wet and the cold for only a few customers."

Lindac, you are so right on! The weekend of the hurricane we had only 2 vendors at the market. If really bad weather is forecast, I don't feel that it is worth my time and effort staying up until midnight baking bread after working from 8-5 at my "day" job.

Teresa

The Minneapolis Market sounds like it is similar to Toronto's St. Lawrence Market. An indoor market opened seven days a week. And every Saturday, farmers and vendors set up either indoors or around the perimeter of the two buildings. Rain/snow/or shine.

Hard to compare this type of market to small local farmers markets. Like Toronto, I'm sure that the Minneapolis market has hundreds, if not thousands of regular customers making it worth it for Saturday vendors to show up.

Ann

We are wimps. Our market is only open one day a week (Sunday) June-September 12:00-3:00. Closed if there is a poof of wind or the field hasn't been mowed within 3 days. :)

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Mystic Farmer's Market

Teresa, I do wish you'd send some of that rain back west, to Texas. Everybody seems to be getting rain but us. Oh, well, once the rain does start up again, sometime in the future, we'll complain we're getting too much rain.

Dallas has a year round farmer's market, open every day, but it's mostly professional vendors selling imported vegetables no different that what you can pick up at the grocery store. It's all covered, but open on the sides, sort of like big metal tents. There is one shed that has some local vendors, from a few large farms in Texas, but not really any more than a small market would have. The farms are big and have a lot of the usual stuff such as tomatoes, squash, beans and black-eyed peas, plus fruit like peaches and watermelon. I haven't been to the Dallas market in years. The last time I went there were a few artisans selling stuff, but not many. Saturdays are the days to get pasture raised meat and eggs.

Some farmers go to the markets located in the suburbs around Dallas, but they're only on Saturdays, and I have to work on Saturdays, so I don't get to go.

Having listened to Prairie Home Companion for years, I can just picture Minnesotans in their shorts and t-shirts shopping in the cold rain or snow at the farmer's markets, maybe even complaining it's not cold enough. lol

Sally

We now have two markets as of last year. They operate at different times 5 or 6 blocks apart. They open in mid-May and are open until the Saturday before Thanksgiving. They are each one city block long and are temporary awnings with tables in the street which is blocked off. There are multiple small farms with stands on the outskirts of town. I find better prices there if I am canning and want case quantities. Our rainy season is mostly December through April so it is rare that the market won't happen. It will sometimes rain in late October. We have a very long growing season here but not a big city population.

Too bad about the rain. It poured here too. I wouldn't have gone to our market in that weather. I presume the vendors can show up if they enjoy drowning or not if they don't. All are under there own tent, they are not provided.

You made a good choice but as always, I miss the market report.

lindac - this is one time you assumed the internet has the last word in everything. All too often the internet has inaccurate information - and this is the perfect example. The Minneapolis Farmer's Market is open all year round. Not the Nicollet Mall but the Lyndale/Glenwood Avenue is. In December the winter schedule begins. Granted - there are far fewer vendors. The schedule is set by Danny Tollefson of Tollefson's Family Pork. Danny was one of the first meat suppliers for Whole Foods. He has since returned to retail sales only. Why would anyone sell wholesale when 200 people are lined up for your product even if it's -20 in January?

Danny sets a schedule of 9:00 to Noon every other Saturday from December to April. You can always count on Danny's pork products, grass feed beef products from Sleeping Cat Farms, poultry from Bar 45, eggs and cheese from Mazeppa, the bison guy from Zumbrota along with wild rice and whatever other agricultural vendors to show up. And before she passed away 5 years ago, Alice Field of Sweet Meadow Farm would be there with her lamb products and jams. As a vendor in the early 90's I shared space with Alice when her money was tight. Until her passing a few years ago, I would show up - bundled up in the winter months to pass a couple of hours with her. Although I will admit, much of my time was spent in my car with the heat on sipping raspberry tea with Alice.

You can't always rely on the internet to be the know all and end all of information. In this case you are talking about a market where I was once a vendor. And now that I am no longer a vendor it is my weekend entertainment. I spend most of my time selling soap with my friend Loretta. Doucanoe met Loretta during our brief outing last year - before a gall stone got the best of me.

Sally2 - we had the worst winter last year. Way too many sub-zero days. Waiting for a bus after work in downtown Minneapolis was brutal. We had a brief respite in February with a sunny day and temps around 22 above. I put on a tank and shorts and soaked up the sun in a chaise lounge on my deck. I wish someone had taken a picture. My chaise was sitting atop a 2 ft snow pack. I know most of you reading this won't understand...... but if you have temps and windchills in the minus whatever for weeks on end - 20 degrees is heaven!

teresa_mn, both of my girls have been known to sunbathe on sunny late winter days. Especially after times like a couple of years ago when we had 24 straight days of zero sunshine and below zero temps, just getting out in the sun was a luxury. I think I do have pictures, somewhere...

Teresa, I certainly don't blame you for sleeping in, it's hardly worth your while to go sit in the rain for a couple of customers, plus you got a bit of a break, that's always good.

Here my small farm market is open from May through October, maybe later for apples if the weather holds and it doesn't snow too much. Bigger markets like Detroit's Eastern Market and Grand Rapids' Fulton Street Market have longer or year round hours. As Ann T mentioned, you can't really compare the small markets like Teresa sells bread at with the larger ones, they are different creatures altogether. We have both, but I seldom go to the winter markets.

Annie

There are numerous farmer's markets in Portland OR, but as far as i know they don't run in the winter. Alas. The markets are are 70-80% produce vendors.

triciae, I didn't know you lived around Mystic CT. What a nice place. I like that area of the country.

We had record cold last winter, too, but our frigid cold weather was like your sunbathing weather. It got down to the 20's and teens for several days in a row. It freaked both people and plants out. After the summer we just went through, it's hard to remember being cold!

The market up in Tahlequah is open Spring through Fall, but I don't remember the exact start up and end. I don't remember if anyone sells meats at that market, but in addition from the produce, the couple of times I went to it there were baked good vendors, goat cheese vendors, soap vendors, and yarn vendors. I love that there's such variety at farmer's markets these days.

Sally

John,

Yes, we love Mystic. Eight years ago, we sold the family home & told the kids if they wanted to visit us going forward they were going to have to get a hotel. :) We purchased a wonderful retirement cottage & a deep water boat slip just a few feet from the front door & plopped a Nordic Tug in the slip (you're probably familar with them being so close to Seattle)! We've made many trips up/down the eastern seaboard from the Keys to Canada in the Nordic Tug. Besides enjoying Mystic for its boating opportunities we love the rural, wooded, New England setting but are only 45 minutes to Newport, 2 hours to Boston, & 2-1/2 hours to NYC. It's a good place for us to retire.

I think you're in Portland, right? I also love Portland. It's my family's home base. My grandparents immigrated to Portland from the Saratov region in Russia before the revolution. My parents were married there & both of my sisters were born in Portland. My Dad was an entertainer & doing a summer gig for the troops at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater (at the time it was a USAF Strategic Air Command Base), CA & I was born there but we returned to Portland when I was just 3 weeks old. The City of Roses is a special place in my life. I last was in Portland in 2005 to pay respects at Rose City Cemetery where most of my family is buried.

We're both gardeners & both places are fantastic for gardening. Very little you can't grow. Next time I'm there I'd like to visit a few farmer's markets.

/tricia

When I was in Minneapolis, I found it interesting that in downtown most of the buildings were interconnected with enclosed walkways.

It is too bad that here in NYC, we don't have very good farmer's markets. Expensive real estate.

dcarch

We love our skyways! All 8.2 miles of them! You can travel all over the city in warm/cool comfort depending on the season. Here is another example of an internet error. Wiki lists Minneapolis as the longest skyway system in the world. Bunk - we were until Calgary passed us. But maybe not for long. More skyways are in the works. Do we people in cold climates get excited over nothing? LOL

Wow DC - I would think you would have great markets there. Course you have the Mario Batali indoor market. Have you made it there yet?

Yes, Calgary is interesting. I couldn't figure out why they had electric outlets at each parking stall when I was there the first time. Until I found out I could not start my car. The engine froze.

We have great indoor food markets like the Eataly, 50,000 sq. ft., and a new Asian shop just opened, 200,000 sq. ft. of food.

Farmer's markets are small and few.

dcarch

Oh my gosh - 200,000 sq. ft. of food! That is worth a road trip. :-)

So Minnesotans are not the only ones to plug in their cars. I lived in a condo on a lake in Minneapolis for more than 20 years. It was an old 2 story building and I did not have a garage. I was a flight attendant and I met a law student who had a part time job catering flights at the New Orleans airport. We dated for a year and each trip to New Orleans he took me to some famous restaurant or tourist spot. One Saturday morning we were having coffee and beignets and he asked how I could get my car to start when it was so cold. It was -40 when I left Minneapolis. I replied "I plug it in when it is cold." Tommy - and the people at the next table looked at me like I was crazy.

dcarch - Are you talking about J-Mart at the New World Mall? Have you been? The mall itself hasn't received particularly good reviews on Yelp but I'd be interested in the food, if it's significantly better, diverse or cheaper than H-Mart. (Such original names, LOL!)

BTW, if we're talking about the same place, their own site says 30,000 square feet, not 200,000. :-)

Just realized you must have been including the food court. Is that worth the trip? Or is it your typical "ethnic" food court food?

FOAS, yes I have been there. As a matter of fact I was invited to the grand opening ceremony because of my acquaintance with some local politician. There were thousands showed up for the event, with street closings etc. I got a chance to talk to the owners/operators of the mall. The store, the loading area, the huge food court, the big restaurant, the warehouse, etc. they told me come to about 200,000 sq. ft. and that is not counting the two floors of underground parking, mangement office, mechanical electrical plumbing spaces.

I have taken pictures of the event, but I don't want to hijack this thread. I will post when I have some time.

BTW, I never waste my time reading the unethical trash at Yelp. You don't pay them money? you get bad reviews.

dcarch

Interesting about Yelp; I had no idea but now I've read up on some of the complaints.

It's been four months since the grand opening to which you were personally invited and you haven't mentioned it here until now (that I've seen), and your only response to my post was in reference to the size. Am I reading between the lines correctly?

p.s. This thread has gone from farmers markets to Orgeon to Mystic to Minneapolis to Calgary to engine block heaters... I don't think hijacking this particular thread is of any concern!

"----It's been four months since the grand opening to which you were personally invited and you haven't mentioned it here until now ---"

I posted about my visit to Eataly, didn't seem to have much interest here. So I didn't bother with my visit to the New World Mall.

dcarch

We in Minneapolis are in for a delightful weekend weatherwise. I hope your weather cooperates for you and your farmer's market Teresa_NC.

Teresa

"I posted about my visit to Eataly, didn't seem to have much interest here. So I didn't bother with my visit to the New World Mall."

Since when does lack of interest keep you from posting about something? Specifically, I'm thinking about sous vide.

BWAAAAHHAHAHAHAHA I'm TOTALLY kidding!!! Don't mind me, sometimes I just crack myself up!size>

Seriously though, I'd be interested in a thread about NWM. Particularly if they have something relatively unique to offer. I've just recently started going to H-Mart and it's a blast. About 17 minutes door to door which for me is an absurd amount of driving for groceries given all the choices within spitting distance, but I've definitely found it to be worth the trip.

Teresa_NC - Good luck this weekend! I rarely post to your market threads but I always enjoy reading them. ;-)

Cracking me up too, foas!

FOAS, "-----Since when does lack of interest keep you from posting about something? Specifically, I'm thinking about sous vide.---"

Well this is not the only forum where I share ideas.

I share ideas for many reasons. General ideas, if no interest here, I try not to post too many.

OTOH, food/cooking ideas I share anyway because:

There are many members who lurk, and who have health issues and financial issues, and many of my posts address those issues. For instance, in the Beef Tendon post all the ingredients are for healing join/arthritis conditions. Black garlic has much to do about health and anti-cancer. For dieters, most of my cooking involves no cream, butter, fat, etc.

Sous vide? if I can have the same enjoyment cooking $2.00 a lb cut of lamb, why should I pay $50.00 a lb for a rack of lamb? (if you take away the fat and the bones, that is about $50. a lb). Same thing with beef and pork, the cheapest cut of meat has the most flavor if cooked right.

I will dig up my NWM pictures and post in a new thread later. It is off-topic here.

Let me get back on topic, Teresa_nc7, for you. A baker's stall in a farmer's market near me.

dcarch
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I always appreciate your posts dc, and shouldn't have laughed at your expense. I apologize. And that your dishes don't use much cream and butter is a huge plus to me.

Bumblebeez - I'm sure your laughing "at his expense" was no more ill-willed than my post was. Like you, I appreciate dcarch's posts even if my personal experience with his pet cooking method has left me decidedly unimpressed.

I'd like to try sous vide- all the meat he has posted looks perfect to me. But I don't want to spend the money on a gadget without first tasting it made that way. And I'm not handy enough to concoct a machine in the garage.

I don't have access (without driving an hour) to anything but the basic cuts of meat either. The only lamb I ever see is boneless leg and occasionally chops but they are always rather expensive.

I'd be happy to loan you my set-up so you can try it out for yourself. You'd need a cooler, tub or similar, but the heater, pump and control could sent. If you're interested, email me and we can figure out cheapest shipping options. This offer is also extended to any other established/regular CF members.

That's really nice of you to offer! I don't think I'm that interested at this moment though. It's also edging into the more science element of cooking and I am wildly turned off by that side. Really, half the fun of cooking for me is using gorgeous pots, pans and bowls. (the Martha in me)
I like being involved in the process; standing at the stove, turning, flipping, stirring, why I dislike crock pots (among other reasons too).

I'm intrigued by sous vide and if dh wanted to take it up I'd be happy. But, me naw. I'm the only carnivore here anyway.

I hope someone else will though. I'd like to hear more input just for discussion.

Bumblebeez, I love people with a sense of humor. I can get silly sometimes myself too. :-)

It is interesting that there is so much mystery about sous vide cooking.

Sous vide cooking has been around for 20 years, except here in the USA. High-end restaurants had been doing it mostly because equipment was thousands of dollars, until very recently. A cooker is now under $300, and a DIY setup is about $50. I understand now even Cosco sells them.

You will be greatly disappointed; SV will not make you a better cook. It is just an appliance, like a roaster oven, microwave, induction cook top, etc. If you don't have a good recipe, a SV cooker will not help you.

The concept is ridiculously simple. Meat gets tough and dry cooked at high temperature and some meat are dangerous to health if cooked at too low temperature.

SV cooker guarantees a precise cooking temperature, not higher and not lower. There is no need to poke around with a thermometer, and there is no worry if some parts of the food are undercooked, but to make it delicious, that is entirely up to your skills.

dcarch