Ellisville Farmers Market Joins People and Produce

George and René Sackett have brought the Ellisville Farmer’s Market back with added features this year, including an expanded selection of vendors. The market, held Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Bluebird Park, also brought back its own brand of live music and the kid's tent.

Bill McCullough, 37, of Ellisville, was picking up some fresh cheese from one vendor. He had taken his son Liam, 2, to play in the park and stopped to check out the Market.

“I’m in the food industry, so anything you can do to get food from farm to table is great,” McCullough said.

Honey, Nuts & Twigs Farm was one of Thursday's more popular vendors, driven in small part by free honey samples. Bob Ferraris, the honey’s namesake, told me different seasons of honey offer different flavors.

“Spring has a lot of clover, so that honey is sweeter. A lot of people buy if for their kids,” Ferraris said. “Summer honey, after the fourth of July, has more wildflower so it is a more adult flavor.”

Although Ferraris sold out of his clover honey, he had no shortage of customers.

“We came for some fruit and veggies, but we’re big fans of honey, especially,” said Dessa Paris, 49 who picked up a bottle's-worth Thursday.

Other attendees said they had heard of the market from a friend, or had seen lit signs along Clarkson Road advertising the market’s hours.

“My massage therapist actually told me about it,” said Rita Goddard, 46 of Ballwin.

Theresa Gornet, 47 of Ballwin was disappointed when she thought she had missed the Market. However, the signs on Clarkson let her know it was still going on, so she visited with her daughter, Leah Gornet, 15.

Many of the vendors are new this year, including Wishbone Photography, which does lifestyle portraits, such as children and family pets. Owners Adam Williams, 34 and Becca Williams, 33 said they'll be opening a studio at the Barn at Lucerne next month.

“This is our grassroots marketing effort,” said Becca Williams said.

Oscar Rivera of El Chico Bakery said he uses farmers markets as a way to spread the word about his company, which is in St. Louis City.

“I just try to bring it out to people who don’t know the Mexican bakeries,” Rivera said.

Vendors came from near and far, from down to the street to towns a few hours away. Vesterbrook Farms, of Clarksville, MO, was one of the distant travelers. Farmers sometimes will make deals on fresh product they don’t want to travel back home with, or will take the product home to use on their farm.

“It’s like a shark feeding frenzy!” Mike Brabo of Vesterbrook said of how the baby turkeys on their farm gobble up any leftover organic baby spinach.

The Ellisville Farmers Market gives vendors an opportunity to showcase unique goods, such as an organic olive oil from Healthy Harvest Gardens.  In addition to organic kale, lettuce, and other crops, the company sells the olive oil from a friend in Greece.

“I love the sampling, and learning about Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) goods,” said Vicki Wellington, 50, of South County. She sampled the olive oil and bought some to take home.

Another popular aspect of the Ellisville Farmers Market is the live bands such as Salt of the Earth who played this week. Tables are set up but were quick to be filled.  Because of the popularity of this part of the event, the Market now sells beer and wine.

Jayne Hieger, 62, of South County, said she came in part to see her son's band perform, and was pleased to see how sociable the market's patrons were.

“Everybody is so friendly – you’d think they know you!”