Area farmers markets are greatly expanding their offerings thanks to a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation. The inaugural grant-funded events will occur this Thursday, June 26 at the Tryon Tailgate Market from 4 – 6 p.m.
The Kid’s Corner will be a repeating event beginning this Thursday that features hands-on arts, crafts, and planting activities for children of all ages. Also at the market this week, Jimmi Buell from Polk County Cooperative Extension will teach a class on strawberry preserves open to all market visitors. These activities are part of an initiative to bring more children and families to market each week.
“I want the Tryon Tailgate Market to thrive in its new location. It has the potential to be a great place for families and their children to meet, shop, and take part in learning and crafting. Kid’s Corners and the jam class are a means to those ends,” says Market Manager Alex Rike.
Jimmi Buell’s strawberry preserve demonstration is part of the Discover You Can grant, a separate award presented to the markets by Ball. The Discover You Can grant provides for farmers’ markets to teach canning, vacuum sealing, and various food preservation techniques. Participants in the demonstration this Thursday will receive a half-pint jar of strawberry preserves. No registration is necessary.
The Kid’s Corner at the Tryon Tailgate Market will be held regularly on the first and last Thursdays every month, and additional vacuum sealing and canning demonstrations are also planned for the season. The Tryon Tailgate Market can be found in its new location at the corner of Palmer and Maple Streets adjacent to Thompson’s Garden Gallery.
For information about these and other countywide market programs visit www.polkcountyfarms.org.
– article submitted
by Patrick McLendon