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Arlee Farmers Market underway

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The Jocko Valley Farmers Market opened for the fourth season last Wednesday outside the Hanging Art Gallery, and it wasn’t just for farmers. Vendors displayed a variety of homemade pies, breads, jellies and vegetables; the Gravely Mountain Boys provided bluegrass music and a fundraising dinner was available.

“This time of the year we don’t have a lot of vegetables,” said Kelley Brown, market manager. “We do have homemade. It’s all about homegrown and homemade.” 

Pat Talbitzer — known as the “Apron Lady” — wasn’t sure what a Farmers Market was a few years ago. She was expecting produce but discovered a place to socialize and sell aprons.

“I wondered, what’s the Farmers Market? I checked it out and here I am,” Talbitzer said.

Rusty and Mary Carl of Home on the Range Pies returned again this season with fresh pies, tarts and a baking tradition.

“My baking comes from grandma and working on the ranch as a kid,” Mary said. “Grandma would make pies on a cookie sheet for the farm workers. I helped her. A guy, one of the workers, asked grandma ‘got anymore walking around pie?’ And so that’s what we call it: Walking Around Pie.” 

Rusty was in charge of taste testing, or as he calls it, “research and development.” 

“When we first started here we had so much leftover,” he said. “Me and the chickens would eat it. We didn’t mind, but I gained 45 pounds. It’s just so good. It called to me. This is our fourth year, and I’ve learned moderation. People keep coming back so we don’t have much leftover anymore, but I’m still about moderation.” 

Dory Athey and Kelton Enich travel to the market from Missoula to help sell vegetables from Sophie’s Farm and Orchard, located a few miles outside of Arlee.

“My favorite thing is to harvest vegetables,” Athey said. “It’s so fun to pull them out of the ground and see what you get. We’ve got spinach, lettuce, bok choy, beats, cilantro and parsley.”

The growing season began without a hitch this year. 

“We haven’t had any crazy weather yet,” she said. “Last year we had a hail storm that ruined lots of lettuce. And the rain this year helped a lot.”

Roy and Marliese Edelweiss displayed their handmade bread in a trailer instead of a tent this year. Roy was inspired to bake German style bread after meeting his wife in Germany while serving in the Army. 

“I bake the bread early in the morning,” Roy said. “I don’t have a pan. I use a stone. It’s not always perfect but it’s not a commercial kitchen. Baking bread is something I really enjoy. In Germany they would call that ‘leidenschaft,’ or passion.” 

The market allows young people like Taylor Lammerding, 14, and Peyton Lammerding, 11, to learn business skills as they sell homemade duct tape wallets and their grandfather’s miniature painting. Bella Starratt, 10, waited patiently for customers to buy her tie-dyed shirts, and Abby Baldwin, 11, developed her face painting business. 

“This is my first year here,” Abby said. “I really like painting. I can do a lot of combinations with hearts and flowers.” 

The Jocko Valley Market is open from 4 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday through September 25. 

Venders can contact Kelley Brown at 

(406) 726-5550 to reserve space. 

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