Mission Farmers Market plans to grow
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ST. IGNATIUS — Vendors set up garden art, plants and even a Reiki table at the farmers market on Main Street. The market was on the smaller side, but it just opened earlier this month for the first time ever, and they’ve had luck on their side.
“It didn’t rain today,” said Kirsten Fleischhauer, market manager. “It rained after everyone got packed up last time, that’s lucky.”
Donna Morton was inspired to create a farmers market after several community members showed interest.
“People would say to me ‘every other town has one, why not us?” Morton said. “I don’t know if we should call it a farmers market, though. It’s not all farming. People can sell whatever they want to sell.”
Leta Sasser waited patiently for people to lie down on her Reiki treatment table at the market.
“It’s energy healing,” she said. “It’s relaxing, non-invasive laying on of hands.”
Sasser uses healing techniques like therapeutic touch to help people.
“I started by working with hospice,” she said. “One of my hospice clients called me ‘the feel good lady.’”
People often seem skeptical about her approach to treatment, she said, but enough people have been interested for her to need an office.
“Reiki is new in the area,” Sasser said. “Sometimes people aren’t sure about it, so I do a free introductory session. People can find me inside the Mission Chiropractic office. I prefer people call for an appointment and I’ll be here at the market.”
Phil Novak, owner of Green Spot, and his three sons waited for people to buy the herbs and perennials they grew as a family.
“I did just as good here last week as when I went to Missoula,” Novak said. “And it’s better on the gas here. I don’t have to drive as far. It was pretty poor that day in Missoula, though. You just never know.”
He moved his family here a few years ago with the desire to get a piece of land and start growing plants.
“This is what I like doing: digging in the dirt,” he said. “I love watermelon and cantaloupes. You bite into a super sweet cantaloupe and there’s nothing like it. I’ll bring cantaloupe (to the market) in about three to four weeks.”
Jared Novak, 13, Joshua Novak, 11, and Jerome Novak, 5, enjoy helping with the family business.
“I like going to the market,” Joshua said. “We have our own plants we can sell. We pick out things people like to buy. I’ve got Super Sweet Chen Basil. People like that.”
Lindy Tachick of Lindy’s Rail Fence quilting displayed her baby items, mittens, and garden art. She recycles many things in her work, like making old sweaters into new mittens.
“I learned to sew a very long time ago in 4-H,” she said. “I enjoy sewing; it’s a stress reliever.”
The market is open the first and third Friday of the month from 1-7 p.m. on Main Street. Vendors can contact The Painted Pony for more information or call Morton at (406) 745-2190.
