At least once a week I drive over to Center to visit the farmers market held on the courthouse square next to the historic 1885 Shelby County Courthouse (one of the most beautiful and unique in Texas). It's open six days a week and the produce is delicious, usually harvested just that morning, and reasonably priced. I'm a tomatoholic so I make sure I get my fill of fresh tomatoes while the crops are plentiful. Here a local farmer, Royce Johnson, greets a customer. Many elderly people simply drive up in their cars, roll down the window, and one or another member of the Johnson family will provide a drive-through service. Royce's dad was a frequent visitor to my granddad's country store when I was a child. One of the reasons I like this farmers market is because it is required that all produce be grown within the boundaries of the county.
This is watermelon country and there's always lots of these big fellows because so much of the soil in Shelby County is sandy, which is conducive to producing big fat juicy watermelons. Don't you love that Texas emblem on the pickup tailgate? I wish I had one for my truck! The building with the bars on the windows to the left in the background is the old Shelby County Jail. For a personal story concerning the jail, see this post from back in 2010.
What a spread! Lots of green and red tomatoes, several varieties of peas and beans, either to shell yourself or already shelled and washed, squash and zucchini, several varieties of peppers, pickling cucumbers, potatoes, onions, cantaloupe, okra, and homemade salsas, relishes, chow-chows, pickles and jellies.
10 comments:
wow! open 6 days a week!? our town has it 1/2 days on tues (i think) and sats. yours looks awesome!
and i love the overalls - we called 'em 'grampa pants' because my dad wore them and one of his grandson's did, too.
I'll take a little of each.
great idea to put the boundray line for where the produce is grown. i love the primary colors in all these photos.. they just POP and the veggies look like i could reach in and help myself. wish i could. i love maters and watermelon
Those tomatoes are calling my name.
Now, that's farmer at his market!
What a great farmers market! I went to the farmers market in town to get some nice juicy tomatoes and when I got them home found that they were the same as the ones in the grocery store, anemic and tasteless. I think that's where they got them and just doubled the price.
I have a pair of overalls like that man has on. Very comfy.
Hello, friend of mine!
I am so jealous...look at those tomatoes!! I have missed you so and am always thinking of you and wondering how life is going for you. I have a very, very, very small garden...five okra plants. :) But it grows well here in Arizona and is happy in a container. I hope all is well with you and yours.
Magpie aka Nancy
It's lovely looking!
First the story!!!! I left a comment beneath it on the link but I have to say here, that was an incredible read! How fortunate your uncle was...AND you...for vastly different reasons!:-)
Secondly, the Farmer's Market. I LONGED for a Farmer's Market to go to the entire five and a half years we lived in Ledbetter! There wasn't one in Giddings, or Round Top where I worked. Nowhere nearby that I was aware of, and I just couldn't understand it. Fields after fields of just hay. You are so fortunate to have one there!
MMMM. Nothing better than truly fresh produce!
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