Downtown Midland Farmers’ Market
Farmer Matt here, You there,
Alright. We have a lot of good stuff happenin’ at the Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market.
MDFM’s First Annual Local Author Day: We are proud to present the finest local literary talent this Saturday. These local wordsmiths will promote their art and sell their published works. This is an opportunity not only for the artisans, but also the community to gain awareness of the talent and creativity that thrives in West Texas. Along with the written word, we welcome Andy Eppler back to the Market to provide the sung word (he sings super good songs). Newbies this week: AB Designs sells crafty crosses, letters, coasters and hot plates. Larry Mosley brings handcrafted woodwork, including, but not limited to, toy boxes, clocks, oak and cherry/ash cuttingboards, and picture frames. Jamie Johnson will bring hand-carved decorative pumpkins.
As always we have the best in local produce, honey, beef, baked goods, doggy treats, coffee, arts and crafts. The cool weather brings greens to the market, and we still have tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and okra. Golden Bouquet will bring their demonstration bee hive. See if you can find the queen.
Below you will find a list of the authors and a brief blurb.
- The Second ‘R: Writing Across the Curriculum has been recently published by Joyce Hobbs, a retired MISD teacher. It emphasizes the importance of prewriting experiences (Give the children something to write about) and allowing the children to do planning and preparations usually done by the teacher. Her second graders invited guests to class, wrote thank you letters, published class newspapers and sent letters to administrators requesting field trips. The author discusses how one field trip provided material for lesson plans in all subject areas for days or weeks before and after the event. Mrs. Hobbs has had short stories published in the UTPB literary magazine, articles in “Teachers of English in Texas” and poetry in national anthologies.
- Mary Lou Midkiff lives and ranches in Midland County, Texas, which has been her home for most of her married life with John Midkiff. Lillie Davenport, Pioneer Mother is Mary Lou’s second book, “Mary Lou Midkiff is to be commended for her compilation of this grassroots study of a West Texas ranch woman and her family. Lillie Davenport Midkiff exemplified the pioneer spirit so essential in settling a demanding land.” -Patrick Dearen, Spur Award Finalist for When Cowboys Die, preceded in 2005 by Midkiff: A Texas Family, Town and Way of Life, “This true story of the Midkiff family reflects the life and times of West Texas in the early to mid 20th Century. It is based on wonderful newly found letters between T O Midkiff and his wife from their first years of marriage to older age. A wonderful story of the Midland, TX area of West Texas and the hard, but rewarding ranching life that prevailed. A must read for anyone with interests in the history of West Texas.”-Herb Hurn, Retired IBM Exec & avid history reader, Highland Haven,TX. Mary Lou is currently at work on a biography of the Davis family.
- A recognized authority on old-time cowboy life and the history of the Pecos River country, Patrick Dearen is the author of nine novels and seven nonfiction books. He has been honored by Western Writers of America, West Texas Historical Association, and Permian Historical Association. He is also the recipient of a J. Evetts Haley Fellowship Award co-sponsored by Nita Stewart Haley Memorial Library.
Dearen’s novel, “The Hidden Treasure of the Chisos,” was chosen as the 2009 featured children’s novel of Wild West Storyfest in Big Bear Lake, California. His newest work, “Lone Star Lost,” is a collection of previously unrecorded treasure tales of West Texas. - Kat Copeland was elected as Volunteer of the Year for both the Arts Assembly ofdland (2008 & 2009) and the Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities(2009). I have served as President for 2008 and 2009, and as Vice-President in 2007 for The Permian Basin Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas, and served as Secretary for the West Texas Writers in 2008. Kat has written 2 books of mainly poetry and some stories that can be ordered on Amazon.com. They are “living/TRUST a book of HOPE”, priced at $9.97, and “CHERRI GIORJITA
GAYE” priced at $14.92. - Robyn Conley, author of biographies such as John Grisham and Cartoonists will have her latest books available. Beyond the Branches: Writing and Scrapping Your Complete Family Tree helps people write their own life stories, and is a great gift for parents and grandparents. Her Pray the Bible with Paper and Pen shows an alternative to folks who might be shy about praying out loud.
- Annette Presley RD LD CPT has been a registered dietitian for over 17 years and taught the low fat, food guide pyramid diet until about 4 years ago when she found out, after much research, that most everything she was taught about nutrition is wrong and the advice she was told to dispense actually causes obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. She coauthored the book The Liberation Diet which explains why we believe what we do about nutrition, why it’s wrong and then tells what we really should be eating to stay healthy and lose weight.
- Ricë Freeman-Zachery writes regularly for magazines and is the author of the best-selling book Living the Creative Life (North Light Books, 2007). “It’s about making art important and putting it up there with the other things you hold dear. The artists here are going to tell you that their art consumes them. It’s always there, filling the space inside their heads. “ –Author, Ricë Freeman-Zachery Ricë is well known for her artist profiles and interviews. To learn more about Ricë visit www.voodoonotes.blogspot.com.
- Ms. Cece Brune is the author of Texas Manners: a Guide to Gracious Living. Her chocolate cookbook, CHOCOLATE CRIMES, was released in November, 2009. From Twinkeemisu, S’more Pie and Chocolate Pound(s) Cake to Trufflecious and Chocolate Umph, you will discover great new chocolate sensations and revisit some old favorites. How many crimes will you commit?She has edited two charity cookbooks, catered for charity and developed a fundraiser, Chocolate Decadence, for the Aphasia Center of West Texas. Her humorous approach to public speaking has won acclaim from Junior Leaguers to retirees to all chocolate lovers.
- Author Dan Venzke lives with his wife in Midland, TX. Besides his writing, he stays busy working for Midland County and baking for Harvest Caffe. Dan has written 4 titles: A Shot in the Dark, Out of the Woods, Finding Richman, and Papa’s Scars.
- Georgia Temple, entertainment editor for the Reporter-Telegram, is the author of two novels “Embrace the Boogeyman” and “Bittersweet,” and the editor of the self-help, inspirational book “Up Close and Personal.”
Next week: MDFM 2 Year Big Birthday Bash. Just a teaser this week, but I will be more detailed and specific next week. We will have free homemade-from-scratch cake (while it lasts), A raffle drawing for several local vendor items(raffle tickets will be $1 each and all monies will benefit MDFM), hand-dipped caramel apples and chocolate covered fruit (money raised from this will also benefit MDFM), the Midland Fire Dept. will bring a fire truck from 10a.m.-12p.m., kid’s activites (face painting, a magician, Junior League’s ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ and much more), Live Music (a medley of musical maneuvering). This is a big event, and you definitely want to make this one.
I am still in need of volunteers to help with the MDFM BBB. Please contact me to help make this a stellar event.
MDFM is also raffling a steer hide generously donated by Schuyler Wight of YT Beef. The hide is valued well above $500, but tickets can be purchased for only $5 each at the MDFM booth or the YT Beef booth. Below is a brief history of the actual hide. The drawing for the hide will be held on October 31, and all the proceeds go to support the Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market. Thanks Schuyler. “Each fall, I make a trek up to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to buy replacement genetics for my herd of longhorn cattle. Several years ago, the Refuge management decided to sell some of the trophy steers. A trophy steer is so called, because longhorn steers horns never stop growing. As they get older, some of them can have horns that are 6 feet from tip to tip. The steer that I purchased was 5 years old, and weighed about 1400 lbs. He had an impressive set of horns, which are now hanging in my office. His hide is the one that will be raffled off to benefit the market. The Wichita Mountain Refuge was established by Congress, and one of its mandates is the presevervation of the longhorn. Prior to the refuge, longhorn cattle were in danger of extinction, due to crossbreeding efforts of private ranchers. For more information on the refuge: www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/wichitamountains/” - Schuyler Wight
The Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market operates every Saturday through the end of November from 9a.m.-1p.m. @ 501 W Texas Ave., under the green.
Regards
Farmer Matt