The Beets I Didn’t Buy

Today was craft fair day at the farmers market.

Well, technically, it was craft fair day next to the farmers market. The Nassau County Vendor Fair was set up down the hill from us, and while we are two separate events, we share the same parking lot on craft fair day. Which meant that people were constantly walking past the farmers market on their way to the tents below.

I brought a selection of “little things”, small hand-made gifts priced at $15 each  – a little lip balm set, a milk and honey facial, a body care trio, and of coruse our Bee Barefoot Duo –  and a fresh stock of Backyard Bees honey from Glen Head, Rosyln and Oyster Bay.

Craft fairs are my thing. I was ready.

Before the Craft Fair Market Opened

And…I had a few minutes before the market officially started.

I took a quick jog across the field to say hello to my friends at T & J’s Home Baked Goods. They’ve been selling out every week, and I was curious how Terry was keeping up with the demand for her sourdough breads and cookies. It’s good for me to hear that I’m not the only small business working hard.

I took a few extra minutes to check in with Loretta’s Sweets—blueberry cobbler today!—and Pam’s Jams.

And then it was time…almost…to start the day. But  I had a sudden craving for beets.

I sprinted over to Schneider’s Farm….

I know. It seems to have nothing to do with a craft fair.

But it did.

Because I grew up hating beets, I don’t really know that much about them. While I was talking to Mary, a third-generation farmer from Schneider’s Farm, I learned that beets are in season all season—from spring through fall.

Who knew?

Mary did.

This woman knows her craft…and she knows her beets. I bet she could tell me a LOT more about them, but I only had so much time.

I went to grab a bunch, realized I didn’t have my money with me, and said, “I’ll be right back.”

I dashed off. I love beets as a grownup. I don’t know why I don’t eat them more.

But back to the craft fair.

The Talk of the Day: Turmeric Honey

The talk of the day at Backyard Bees was turmeric honey.

Golden honey mixed with saffron-colored turmeric powder transformed this limited batch into a pumpkin-colored honey that felt 100% appropriate for the beginning of September and the incoming autumn weather.

I told the behind-the-scenes story of Turmeric Honey, my modern take on a traditional recipe I first learned about from my own customers.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from the people who buy my honey. These particular customers told me how they combined honey with turmeric, lemon, and black pepper as part of their morning routine. (Read the story of Turmeric Honey.)

After we talked about using turmeric honey in that traditional way, of course—of course—people had other ideas.

Turmeric has an earthy, slightly bitter taste with hints of pepper and ginger.  It was kind of cute to watch everyone thinking hard, trying to come up with something different from the person standing next to them.

One woman nodded her head and said, “Yes. Turmeric. I use it in stews.” Then her face began to reveal her doubt about putting turmeric honey into her stew. She wasn’t at all certain she wanted to add sweetness to her recipe.

But when I suggested roasted carrots with turmeric honey, more ideas started coming.

Eventually, we settled on roasted carrots and beets with turmeric honey as a beautiful, delicious, and unique side dish to bring to the next dinner club meeting. (Does anyone do supper clubs anymore? )

The Craft of Knowing Your Specialty

Beets!

I still needed to go back for my beets.

But now I was thinking about crafts again.

Not arts and crafts, exactly, but the craft of knowing your specialty.

I was surrounded by crafters.

The Two Brothers were selling heirloom tomatoes to my left. On my right, Anna from Wheatley Farms was explaining okra in depth to an inquisitive shopper. I often pick their collective brains for pearls of growing wisdom. Jayson and D’Ante talk to me a lot about worms and ladybugs and microbes….the types of things you might not think to ask about…but I do.

At Backyard Bees, I was sharing tasting spoons of the turmeric honey and Fall Honey with customers all day. My mind drifted to the beets every time I  shared the turmeric honey with someone. In between sampling, I answered questions about sensitive skin and soap ingredients…it seemed everyone wanted unscented products today.

Why Is This Honey a Different Color?

And, in between it all, I found myself explaining the different colors of honey…again. It really has been the most commonly asked question all season long:

“Why is this honey a different color?”

Several people asked for darker honey, and I explained why I couldn’t satisfy that request—not only because I didn’t have much of that particular color, but because my bees had chosen to forage elsewhere.

Will I have darker honey next time?

I shrugged, “I won’t know until I know.”

Just as I did last weekend, I pulled out my phone. It only took one image for people to understand how each jar is different, because each frame is different, reflecting that the bees went to different flowers to source their nectar.  

Because that’s my craft.

I have been keeping bees for more than 15 years now. I don’t know it all, but I do know it.

Two Craft Fairs, One Day in the Park

We had a bunch of new people walking through the farmers market, either before or after visiting the Nassau County Vendor Fair at the bottom of the hill. I couldn’t tell which group of tents they had visited first.

I didn’t notice people carrying tons of purchases—except, of course, one farmers market customer with a bag overflowing with fresh Long Island celery. That’s the kind of thing I notice.

But I’d like to think that people who came out for a day in the park discovered that they were surrounded by crafts on both ends of the hill.

A craft isn’t limited to the objects we traditionally call arts and crafts.

It is the knowledge that grows from making or doing something over and over again. It is noticing the details that most people never have a reason to notice.

Like how Terry knows her sourdough. Anna knows okra. The Two Brothers know their dirt. Mary knows her beets.

And I know my bees.

The market was filled with people who have spent years learning their specialties—and it’s an extra special day when they meet customers who are curious enough to ask questions and listen.

One Last Conversation

I didn’t forget the beets.

Near the end of the market, a woman stopped to buy a jar of Fall Honey, the dark, thick harvest influenced by the English ivy blooming around my Glen Head hives.

She was a little teary-eyed as she told me about a loved one who was living with chronic COPD. She hoped that perhaps—maybe, just maybe—the honey might bring him a little comfort.

“Either way,” she said, “he’s always loved honey.”

So I listened.

I shared a few memories from my dad’s struggle with COPD, and she listened to me, too.

I thanked her for sharing her story, for supporting my small business, and invited her to come back.

By the time we finished talking and I wrapped up for the day, Mary and the farm stand were packed up and gone.

I didn’t forget the beets. But now I know they’re in season all season. I’ll get them next week.

Some conversations simply shouldn’t be hurried.

Looking Ahead

Next week, the CCE Farmers Market is holding a seed swap.

I’m not in charge, so I don’t know all the details, but typically, you participate in a seed swap by bringing a packet—or two—of extra seeds from this season, labeled, of course. Just like a book exchange, you leave one and take one.

At Backyard Bees, I’ll also be offering a free packet of pollinator-friendly seeds with any purchase. You don’t have to bring me anything.

The farmers market continues through October 31, so I’m not saying goodbye or anything. This is just a little something for you to save for next year’s garden—and the nectar next year’s bees will be looking for.

Continue Exploring

Turmeric Honey: A Long Time Coming

A Real Farmers Market at Eisenhower Park what makes the farmers market at Eisenhower park so special to me; find links to all the market reports here

Bee Healthy or Bee Well? last week’s market report