Moms, music highlight market season opener
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COOPERSTOWN – The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market will kick off its 2007 season, Saturday, with the annual Mother’s Day celebration, featuring free carnations for moms and live music by the band Just Throw Money. In addition to the quality produce, homemade food and handmade craft items, the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is also known throughout the area for its live entertainment and special theme days. Last year, visitors to the market enjoyed everything from balloon art to beer tasting to book signings, and special guests performed regularly. This year, the market picks up right where it left off. On May 12, Just Throw Money band members Willy Wood, Johnny Banks, Bill Youngs, and Doug Decker will perform what they describe as “an acoustical excursion,” featuring two acoustic guitars, bass, and congas. According to the Just Throw Money website, the band plays a variety of classic country, folk, and tunes from the ‘70s – and every now and then an original tune, for good measure! The market will hold a special raffle to herald its season opening, the winner of which will receive lunch for four at The Blue Mingo restaurant at Sam Smith’s Boatyard. Tickets are $1 each – proceeds will help offset operating expenses. The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, a community mainstay, features 20 returning full and part-time vendors in 2007 and welcomes six newcomers thus far. Back by popular demand are Acrospire Farm, ARK Floral, Blue Stone Farm, Cooperstown Relay for Life, Goldpetals, Hellers Farm, The Herb Cupboard, Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery/Zoar Farms, Italian Cookie Home, Lapps Produce, Mary Marx, Middlefield Orchard, Pumpkin Hollow Maple, Sarah’s Snapshots, Shadbush Farm, Sherman Hill Farmstead, Summers End Orchard, Sunset View Farm, Surprise in Store and The Taste of Britain. New to the market this season are Caitlin’s Closet, The Cookie Emporium LLC – Serendipity, Gaia’s Breath Farm, Hawk Circle Wilderness Education, Helloonie, Ink., and Lucky Dog Farm & Store. The special events calendar is shaping up nicely for 2007. Monthly exhibits by Cornell Cooperative Extension have been scheduled, and future musical guests will include Skip West and Stoddard Hollow String Band. This season, the CFM has also launched a new eat local campaign. Efforts will focus in part on the 100-mile Diet, which encourages people to support local farmers, eat healthier, create a secure food supply, boost the local economy and save energy. The only indoor farmers’ market in the region, the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is located just off Main Street in Pioneer Alley and operates each Saturday, rain or shine, May through December. The objective of the CFM is to support locally grown produce and locally made crafts. Eighty percent of the goods and produce offered by vendors must be produced within the environs of Otsego County by the vendor, a member of the vendor’s immediate family, or a representative. The producer – or in the case of agricultural vendors, the farm – is required to be within a 50-mile radius of the market. The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is sponsored by Otsego 2000.
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