Happy Farm Market Week!
The following blog was written by Farm Market employee Karie Mindock! Thank you for sharing your passion and excitement as we celebrate Farm Market Week here in Downtown Appleton.
Have you seen the “patented garbage bag swing”? It has been a few years...but when I started at the Appleton Downtown Farm Market, I was in charge of garbage. Those of you who know me, know that I am (almost) 5 feet tall. Getting bags of garbage into a dumpster requires a talented and ballet-like swing move!
These days I am more often seen unlocking electrical outlets, checking in with vendors, or manning the information booth. Thankfully, some taller (and younger) garbage helpers have been found.
It is 12 years later and I still cannot wait to wake up and get down to help set up the market at 5:30 A.M. Why? YOU! It is because of YOU! Customers, farmers, volunteers, food vendors, crafters, community service officers, musicians, A.D.I. staff, and more. I love the people! As I work I am filled with awe at our amazing community. I have met the mayor, attended a Hmong wedding and sadly a Hmong funeral. I have worn a skirt, donned earrings, eaten a Kringle, drank an iced coffee, canned tomatoes, decorated my home, listened to a CD, and smiled.
All of this has come to me because of an event you call the Farm Market. To me, it is a family gathering every Saturday that happens to be four blocks long, and then we invite a few thousand of our closest friends to join us. Rain or shine- we make the most of every minute! Shop local has a meaning to me. It is family. It’s National Farm Market Week! Come to enjoy the market and support this amazing community. Eat. Shop (the market and the downtown boutiques & specialty shops). Wander. Enjoy. You belong here. You will be part of our family.