"The Putnam Farmers Market was established in 2009. All of our vendors are local, within a 50 mile radius or from West Virginia. You'll find in-season produce, locally raised meat, farm fresh eggs, home baked goods, local honey, fresh flowers, berries, handmade jewelry and crafts, and so much more from local farmers and artisans! Find something new every Saturday!"



The Putnam Farmers Market is held every Saturday from May through October. I stopped by a while back to check out all the vendors.



Here's a sampling of some vendors I've visited there:

Hope’s Harvest Farm, LLC - potatoes, tomatoes, beets, greens and more.

Amandus Family Farm - Family of four raising pigs, chickens, & goats through rotational grazing & pasture based principles.

Mountain State Fungi - Mushrooms



The Potager - tomatoes, peppers, berries and more.

Sycamore Farms & Primitives - pies, blueberry muffins, strawberry bread, garlic pull apart bread, yeast bread and rolls, cinnamon rolls and more.

WeeGreens - microgreens



Hammett Family Farm - eggs

G & G Heritage Farm - Pepperoni Rolls Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Smoked Gruyere and Gouda, and Scorpion Gruyere and Gouda, Jams, Pineapple Upside-down Cake, Everything Bagel Seasoned Cashews and Focaccia Bread

Vibrant Mountain Lady - eggs



Crago Country Farm - plants, bread, cookies

Vine & Branches Family Farm - sunflowers, bouquets

L&L Produce - eggs, fresh strawberries, strawberry muffins, brownies



LeJa Produce - Honey, Garlic Scapes, Choi, Kale, Collards, Asparagus, Onions, Apple Butter, Zucchini Bread, Cobbler (Blackberry, Peach), Jam (Blackberry, Peach)

Fox Run Metal Works - metal yard art

Feather Ridge Farm - eggs, quail eggs, whole chicken, and freeze dried candies!

Roo’s Flower Coop - flowers

Cooper's Cottage - microbakery

The Ugly Cupcake - microbakery

Katie's Country Kitchen - baked goods

Payne's Produce - produce

Kyndall's Kitchen - baked goods

Mountain State Farm - meat

Grand Central Market is Los Angeles' largest and oldest public market. There are a number of vendors, but the ones I visited were: Fat + Flour, La Huerta Candy, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, Sarita’s Pupuseria and The Donut Man. "When the doors first opened in October 1917, the "Wonder Market," as it was then called, was billed as "the largest and finest public market on the Pacific Coast." It filled the entire ground floor of the Beaux-Arts-style Homer Laughlin Building, the region's first steel-reinforced, fireproof structure. At the time, Los Angeles was the country's tenth-most-populous city—and downtown was the epicenter of a flourishing metropolis," reads the website. "Today, the Market's 40 stalls are home to an only-in-LA blend of legacy vendors like China Cafe and Roast To Go (Grand Central Market tenants for over half a century), rising stars, and success stories from the city's buzzing food scene. The Market is a microcosm of the historic immigrant communities that have shaped Los Angeles and a mosaic of the creativity and vision of the people who call this city home." McConnell's Fine Ice Creams have "dense and pure-flavored, with smooth, consistent texture and a rich, velvety mouth feel." I actually went for a sorbet, but I can confirm, it was super smooth and refreshing. "Taste what America’s “foodies” and ice cream aficionados have been raving about for decades. Local, sustainable and organic, ingredients are sourced from many of the same farms and purveyors they've partnered with throughout their 70-year history. Cool down with a float, Build-Your-Own ice cream sandwich, sundae, scoop, or another, tempting menu favorites," reads Grand Central Market's site. The mango sorbet uses ripe, golden mangoes, pureed to a buttery, honeyed perfection, with just a trace of lemon juice for acid backbone. SUPER refreshing - especially on a hot day. Sweet, but tart at the same time in the best way. Next up is Fat + Flour. A tiny pie and cookie shop from the one and only Nicole Rucker. Featuring coffee by Right Quick Roasters. All of the pies and cookies looked tempting, but none as much as the fruity pebble rice krispie treat. I am a sucker for rice krispie treats - maybe because I never really had them growing up? But if they are up for grabs, I can't turn one down. And this one being homemade and super ooey-gooey with just a bit of fruity flavor put it over the top. Plus a delicious sprinkle cookie!



Then I stopped at La Huerta Candy: "Since 1999 La Huerta Candy has sold a wide variety of classic American candies, novelty Mexican nuts, dried fruit and other delicious snacks. Perhaps one of Grand Central's most visually dynamic stalls, La Huerta is bedecked by colorful bins of sweet and savory snacks in variable textures, tints, and tastes. Don't miss their famous gummi's covered with chamoy and chili lime!"
I picked up a few candies here, but specifically the little fruits that squeeze juice and are super popular on social media. Next up is The Donut Man. The Donut Man has been serving up high quality delicious treats for nearly 50 years. Originator of the Fresh Strawberry and Fresh Peach donut. I had to try the fresh strawberry donut, which is a giant mass of strawberries, dough and sugar. Tasty? Yes. Messy? Oh yes. Sarita’s Pupuseria is next! Based on family recipes from owner Sara Clark, Sarita's serves handmade pupusas with dozens of different fillings (including vegetarian options) to choose, as well as fried plantains, yuca con chicharron, stews, and other celebrated Salvadoran dishes. I enjoyed a pupsusa with cheese. Pillowy but a fresh crispness from the slaw or curtido. I loved everything I had from this market and the market itself.

Grade: A

Campbell's Creek Farmers Market is a new, small pop-up market at Ken Ellis Memorial Park that I was excited to visit before they wrap up for the season. The market consists of a handful of vendors, which include produce, baked goods, jams and jellies and more. Plus, recipes, resources and even crockpots for 50 families. And, they even had $5 voucher tokens available for shoppers. That means youget five dollars worth of free food. how cool is that? I was able to snag two baby eggplants and two baby squash from Gritt's Farm for only $2. They also had peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. Holler Girl Creations had a number of jams and jellies, like: apple butter, pumpkin butter, piña colada jam, peach vanilla bean bourbon jam, cherry bourbon vanilla jam, peach rum jam, carrot cake jam, strawberry jalapeño jam, mulberry jam, monkey butter, blueberry jam, and vanilla peach butter. Homemade by Londa also had a number of jams and jellies, but they also had some pumpkin cookies that I was excited to try. There was the pumpkin chocolate chip, but you all know my feelings on chocolate chips. So, I went for the pumpkin sage flavor, which is intriguing. I can't wait to try it. Ancient Lights Farm had baked goods made with duck eggs. I visited at the end of the day, but I was fortunate that they still had some poundcake, cinnamon swirl bread and zucchini bread muffins. I picked up a slice of poundcake for just $1, which will be my breakfast tomorrow. There were also a ton of other vendors at the park for an event, we had everything from cotton candy to crab rangoons. Have you been yet?

Last weekend, I excitedly attended the Winter Blues Farmers Market here in Charleston.



This market brings together tons of producers from around the state into one space for the best of local shopping. Here are some of my highlights:

Bakery



BAKED - I had to try a cookies & cream cookie from here, and it did not disappoint.



Goldilocks Grazing





Handmade WV Market - I so want to try these pepperoni rolls and unique jellies
Kristi Ann’s Bakery
Legacy Foods
Lisa’s Jar of Love
Mama Faye's Fudge & Confections
Mrs. Mels
Nanas Kitchen



RF Sweet Shop - I want to get my hands on some of this fudge in the future.
Rise Appalachia Donuts and Sourdough



Small Business and Sundry LLC - A cookie from here went home with me, too.
Sunrise Sweets and Treats LLC





Sycamore Farm and Primatives - I had never had a strawberry cheesecake bread before this place, and wow!
The Wild Ramp
Tibbenham Chocolates
Walnut Hollow Farm



Whimpsey and Willows Market LLC
Wildee Made
Willow Brook Farm



The Sourdough Effect


Coffee
Aroma of the Andes
Coal River Coffee Company
Mountain Table
The Black Dog Coffee Company


Goods, Snacks & More
Dark Hollow Foods
Cerealsly Delicious
Perk Farm Organic Dairy
Putnam Farmers Market
Riverbend Farm and Gardens
Angie’s What’s Poppin Shoppe
Arbaugh Farms
DARN Enterprises



Eldridge Alchemy - Finally had a chance to check this place out; their drinks are interesting
G & G Heritage Farm
Grassy Creek Farm
J.Q. Dickinson Salt
Mama Maes Apple Butter and Freeze Dried Candy
Moonraker Alpaca Farm
Mountain Juice
Mud and Woods
Novak Farms
Sassy Gals
St. Albans Farmer’s Market
Tower Garden





Tracy Sugar Shack - I had to try some freeze-dried Starburst
Twelvepole Trading Post
Villa DiTrapano
We B Fryin Snacks
Blue Acre Aquaponics
High Priestess Goods


Meat
Angelo’s Italian Sausage
Circle S Farmers Market and More
Custard Stand Chili
Lost River Butcher Block Overholt Homestead LLC
Pig Man
Quicken Farms
Red Tool House Farm
Taylor Family Farms and Custom Meat
Twisted Chicken Farm
Wilfong Farms


Mushrooms/Produce







Glascock’s Produce
Green Thumb Botanicals
Hernshaw Farms
Mon Valley Mushrooms
Spring Valley Farm and Orchard
Oh My Greens
Harvest Trails


Plants
Native Florals
Terra Fate Exotics
Ellison Mountain Heritage Nursery
Gritt’s Farm


Pet
Mary’s K9 Bakery


Bath & Body & Candles
Appalachian Botanical
Appalachian Lavender
Blessed Full Farms
Brookestone Soaps
Good Horse Scents
Grassy Meadows Goat Milk Soap
Hill and Holler Herbal Company
Sachet Lavender
Soaps by Sid
T.L. Soaps



Tarts in Heart - A blueberry pancake candle went home with me because it was just absolutely too cute
On the Go Soaps
Rustic Root Soap LLC


Canned Goods, Jams & Jellies
Clara’s Gourmet
Honey Do Produce
Jar Head Farms



LeJa Produce - I know they're closer to the Morgantown area and have been wanting to check them out.
Owl Mountain Farm LLC
Sloping Acres
Williams River Farms



Mals Produce - another Morgantown stop I want to check out when the weather warms up
Smoke Camp Crafts
Sunset Berry Farm
T.L. Fruit and Vegetables
Uncle Frankies
Tarbilly’s BBQ
Tipsy Roos
Uncle Bunks LLC


Hemp
Almost Heaven Hemp
Dovetail Ridge Farm
Genesis Mountain Farm


Maple & Honey
Fruits De La Rose and Oldham Sugarworks
Ronk Family Maple Farm
Treats from Trees
Twelvepole Trading Post
Howe Sweet It Is
Carry Apiaries
R+A Honey Bees LLC
Rimfire Apiary
Schamberger Honey
Sugar Bottom Farm