Meat and CSAs part of Campbell farmers markets’ bounty

Farmers markets in Campbell County have gone beyond vegetables and fruits by selling local beef, pork, chicken, duck, waffles and even frozen fruit pops.

Markets in Fort Thomas and Highland Heights offer a chance to learn about, and buy food from, Community Supported Agriculture Farms (CSA) in Alexandria and Falmouth.

Campbell County’s and Fort Thomas’ farmers markets pop up weekly on different parking lots and days. Fort Thomas’ market days are Wednesday and Friday afternoons in different parts of town.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

For Campbell County, market days are Tuesday in Highland Heights, Friday in Alexandria and Saturday in Newport. Marty’s Waffle truck is setting up at Alexandria market days, and Little Rock Farm in Camp Springs is selling homemade hand pies in Newport filled with blueberry, strawberry or triple berry. Vickie Fritzsche’s Ridge Hill Soap Co., of Highland Heights, is a new vendor selling varieties including her two varieties red, white and blue “Patriotic Patchuli”

Ame Vanorio of Falmouth-based Fox Run Produce and Education Center, a CSA, sets up in Highland Heights and at Covington’s market.

“Covington is a pretty big happening market, and we don’t want to miss that,” Vanorio said.

Tucked underneath Vanorio’s red tablecloth-covered table are coolers filled with meats to sell. Vanorio brought pork to Highland Heights May 19. Chicken, beef and duck will be coming to market soon, she said.

“It’s all raised naturally, so it is grass-fed with organic feeds,” Vanorio said.

Asian lettuce, greens, mustard and kale varieties, peppers, melons and beans are among Vanorio’s other offerings. People can also find out about education workshops and internships teaching topics including self-sufficiency and gardening at Vanorio’s website.

Bert Neltner, owner of The Other Neltner Produce based in Highland Heights, is bringing Russian kale, mustard greens and lettuce varieties to Campbell County’s market now. Raspberries, onions and peas will be among foods Neltner said he will be sell later in the growing season.

Sandy Konnerman, of Alexandria, bought Russian red kale from Bert Neltner May 20. Konnerman said she tries to buy organic and raised local foods whenever she can get them.

“Kale, I like to add it to salads and soups, and it with onion as a side dish,” she said.

Neltner’s farm’s name is a reference to being different from Camp Springs-based Neltner's Farm, an area farmers market mainstay, and a 123-year-old working family farm. Neltner’s sell at all Campbell County and Fort Thomas farmer markets spots, at Findlay Market each Saturday, and at a market each Monday at Nativity Church in Kennedy Heights.

FORT THOMAS

Fort Thomas’ Friday market moved Friday hours to a new location in Fort Thomas Antique & Design Center’s parking lot this year. Wednesday market hours remain at a parking lot at South Fort Thomas Avenue at River Road.

Sellers including Bello’s Bike Pops of Newport, and Fairfax, Ohio-based artisan bakery 16 Bricks, a new artisan bakery joining Fort Thomas this year, create an create an enhanced experience for market visitors, said Debbie Buckley, economic development director for Fort Thomas.

Farmers from Campbell County are at the heart of Fort Thomas’ market, but select growers and businesses from all parts of the region are there, she said.

“It’s all either locally produced or locally grown,” Buckley said.

Vendors at Fort Thomas include: Camp Springs Winery, Breezy Acres of Morningview, Neltner Farms of Camp Springs, Our Mother’s Garden of Villa Hills, Lobenstein Farm of Brookville, Ind., Sunflower Sundries of Mount Olivet, Ky.

Inverness Honey, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Inc.,Greensleeves Farm (CSA) of Alexandria, StoneBrook Winery of Camp Springs, Butterfly Hill Farm, Sixteen Bricks of Fairfax, Ohio, The Farm of Holiday Harbor of California, Ky. and Bello’s Bike Pops and Carabello Coffee Company, both of Newport.

Greensleeves Farm owner Gretchen Vaughn said shares to help work at her CSA south of Alexandria have been sold out for a few years.

Vaughn sells her extra crops at Fort Thomas’ and Covington’s farmers markets.

“We are bringing spring greens now, kale, mustard greens, chard and baby beets,” she said.

A new Farm to Plate dinner series, costing $40 a person, has started at Greensleeves, Vaughn said.

“Each month I partner with a different Kentucky chef,” she said.

July 12 will feature Allison Hines, chef at Butcher Betties in Florence and pork from Napoleon Ridge Farm in Gallatin County.

“The farmers and chef come and talk with the guests so they really make that face-to-face connection,” Vaughn said.

For information about Farm to Plate dinners and a Saturday, June 28 Garlic Festival visit Greensleeves’ website at http://bit.ly/1Hxkata