News : Successful 2010 Farmer\'s Market season ends in Vinton

The crowd gathered for the final Vinton Farmer's Market of 2010 at the Depot Thursday evening.

Jimmy Kelly left the final Farmer's Market of 2010 with two armloads of produce.

Paul McClain serves customers at his area at the Farmer's Market.

Alan and the crew from Merchant's Grilling serve many customers each Thursday at Farmer's Market.

Virginia Moser discusses her produce with Ron and Nancy Baldwin.

Marion Moser's tables are filled with produce and customers.

Deb Nielson answers questions about her honey products.

The Nielsons make several varieties of flavored honey.

Taya Swanson discusses her baked goods with Todd and Kim Frank.

Taya Swanson enjoyed her first year of selling at the Farmer's Market, and will return in 2011.

Jimmy Kelly of Vinton is heading to Rhode Island, where he hopes to impress his girlfriend’s family.

“I need something that will knock their socks off,” he said to Marion Moser.

He left Moser’s stand at the Vinton Farmer’s Market with a small bag of popcorn. He added that to the sack of other items he purchased from other vendors, and then walked away, the sack under his right arm and a large watermelon under his left.

Lots of customers walked away like that Thursday night, the last Farmer’s Market of the 2010 season at the Vinton Depot.

It’s been a good year, said Market Manager Duane Randall.

“We’ve had lots of great vendors, and lots of people here each week,” he said.

Paul McClain was one of many local farmers who kept busy selling a variety of home-grown fruits and vegetables to patrons Thursday evening.

Some of the vendors, like McClain and the Mosers, have been coming back year after year.

Others are just completing their first year.

“I will be back next year,” said Tyra Swanson of Vinton. Swanson and her friend, Shawna Kurth, have been selling muffins and other baked goods this year, their first at the Vinton Farmer’s Market. Swanson said the items they sell each Thursday night are from family recipes. Her favorite, she said, is the raspberry white chocolate muffin.

Deb Nielson sold a variety of honey products Thursday night. She and her husband are beekeepers from the Newhall area.

“My son started this as a 4-H project,” she said.

On Thursday, Nielson was offering samples of flavored honey.

She has lots of favorites, she said.

“I like the raspberry with my tea, the blackberry with waffles or pancakes, and the butter rum with ice cream,” she said.

Another popular product at Nielson’s table is a beeswax-based insect repellant.

The Merchants’ grill was busy, as it is every week, as Alan and his crew served a variety of items includes racks of ribs.

Each week at the Vinton’s Farmers Market, there is a special theme or contest. During the first Farmer’s Market, participants released many balloons with contact information tied to them on a string. This year, the only one balloon was returned. It landed on a soccer field in rural Cedar Rapids.

Randall said that customers who want to buy products from the vendors can call the Vinton Parks and Recreation office as 472-4164 to obtain the vendors’ contact information.

Many of the vendors who sell crafts will participate in a craft show later this year in Vinton, Randall adds.