What better way to embrace a warm summer night than with a trip to the country?
The sun is setting a mite earlier each day, and the waning day breezes generally come up to blow the heat away. A drive down Highway 238 to the scenic Applegate Valley is just the ticket to smooth out the wrinkles on your forehead and calm your midweek nerves.
As you drive, look for the blue signs along the way that mark the wineries there. Enjoy its peaceful views and end the night at a sweet community farmers market.
This Wednesday, we hit the Applegate Night Market at Electric Gardens Flower Farm at Hwy 238 8035. It’s open from 5-8pm every Wednesday through October.
My first impression was that it took me back to a comfortable hippie vibe. Well, maybe I wasn’t a full-blown hippie, but I’ve always had flower boy tendencies. I still love patchouli, locally grown organic food, country life and peace.
I think flowers are meant for my hair again after hearing the Cowsills sing “The Rain, the Park and Other Things” to Britt. Getting older doesn’t mean getting old mentally. The childish soul remains, I’m glad to say.
Anyway, there were a few quality local farmers and a few artisans. I wish I had brought more cash as some vendors are not equipped for plastic.
The pair of Twisted and Tied, who sell tie-dye clothing for all ages (you knew it), fund a non-profit organization that buys toys for underprivileged children.
There’s a wide variety of locally sourced healthy foods: honey from Applegate Apiaries, deliciously sweet strawberries and plums from Reyes Strawberries. Miracle Mushrooms offer some of the most beautiful and large mushrooms I have seen. No, not that kind.
Salant Family Ranch raises natural grass-fed beef. We met a woman selling frozen salmon, cod and rockfish for Callistini Fisheries who said she “loves being on the boat, just me and my dad”.
A vendor offered samples of their homemade hot sauces. Another tempted us with free samples of freshly whipped nut butters. I’ll be back for the new one. We actually plan to go back for several things: the fresh pesto we saw, loose leaf Ayurvedic teas and cacao powder, and more sugared strawberries while they last.
Fresh goat milk, meat and eggs are on hand at Rogue Artisan Foods, located in Applegate Valley. We stopped to listen to some good music by a Jamaican gentleman with Fiyah (fire) in his name.
As bellies rumbled, we took advantage of a couple of food stops. I dined on delicious chicken with black beans and rice from Siano’s Karribean Cuisine, and Lane wrapped up a Greek pizza from Beyond Pizza, which uses a Forno Bravo portable Italian firebrick oven. We saw but didn’t give in, this time, to the peach pie at Brookie’s Cookies and Lemonade, but I bought her fresh peaches.
I enjoyed a conversation with John, who seemed like a Jake to me, so I called him that. You gotta love a guy who wears a fedora while writing poems and stories in a vintage Olivetti. Of course I bought one of his storybooks.
Writers supporting writers is a beautiful thing, and he invited me to his collective enclave. Maybe write a short story under a pseudonym.
Each week features a different band or musician for your shopping pleasure. A shaded beer garden on the roof is a prime vantage point for people-watching. They usually carry wine, but not when we visited. The picnic benches also have shade.
There is something purely satisfying about buying goods directly from the person who made or grew them. Make it easy to get out where farmers do their best to care for the land, do business responsibly, and bring us healthy produce at a bargain.
Neighbors helping neighbors is a beautiful thing. Support local merchants.
Peggy Dover is a freelance writer/author. Contact her at pcdover@hotmail.com.
