TRI-LAKES GUIDE: Backyard Market in Black Forest set to return for second season
The highly popular Backyard Market in Black Forest will return for a second season starting May 22.
Market Manager Theda Stone said over 60 vendors have applied to participate so far, and there is a waitlist for some categories of producers. All vendors must sell a tangible item or food product.
“The goal is to support each other and to be successful together,” Stone said of the family of vendors at the market.
Stone and Elba Barr started the market last year when the Black Forest Community Club asked residents what they would like to see in their region. A farmer’s market topped the resident’s requests, so the club hosted began hosting the weekly Saturday event in their “backyard,” an undeveloped field on the northwest side of the community building at 12530 Black Forest Road.
Some familiar vendors including Sawatch Artisan Foods, Julie Bee’s Honey Caramels, High Plains Farm, Good Steward Farms and Emerge Aquaponics all will be back for another year. Food trucks are welcome, too.
Stone said new vendors are bringing a variety of “culturally unique” pastries and artisanal breads to the 2021 market. Fresh organic free-range poultry and turkeys will be available and there will be at least one rancher selling ground beef, sausages and steaks.
Prospective vendors can fill out the application managemymarket.com — a web-based farmers market software.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
The Backyard Market helped to forge some alliances between vendors, such as the partnership created between Megan’s Mushrooms and Sunshine Greens Farm.
Sunshine Greens Farm will offer nasturtium, cantaloupe and borage microgreens in addition to its 30 or so usual offerings. Owner Pamela Brown said she sells live plants to customers so that they can harvest their own super nutritious product.
Megan’s Mushrooms will offer Black Pearl Trumpet mushrooms on a regular basis this year. These were popular as an occasional special at last year’s market.
Youth vendors also enjoyed a strong reception in the inaugural season.
The popular Young Entrepreneur Program will continue this year. The program gives local children up to 18 years old “the opportunity to do a booth at the market at no cost or very small amount,” Stone said.
Children vendors fill out the paperwork online with their parents. Once it’s approved, their $20 application fee is reimbursed and their first visit to the market is free.
“The goal is they pay nothing or a very small amount, so that they can keep most or all their profits,” Stone said.
A new feature of the young entrepreneur program will be mentoring. If the kids would like, Stone and Barr can connect them to a vendor that is the same business or successful to tap into the vendor’s brain and “secrets.”
The youth program is dependent upon sponsorships. This gives businesses that don’t sell a tangible item a chance to participate. Roofers, plumbers and other service-based businesses might be interested, according to Stone.
“We will add their logo to our website (bfbackyardfarmersmarket.com) and heavily market them on social media,” Stone said.
Sponsors can help for just one week or for the entire season. Besides helping with the Young Entrepreneurs, businesses can also sponsor sustainable living classes or the Kid’s Corner, which offers a kid-friendly art or craft activity or game during the market.
The Girl Scouts of Colorado have signed on to assist on a few dates in the Kid’s Corner.
Sustainable Educational Experience, or SEE, is a nonprofit group that runs the Kid’s Corner. Their community garden off Old Ranch Road near Pine Creek High School, allows volunteers to learn about gardening. Stone said that last year they taught a class to kids called “All About Bees.”
Staff and students dressed in bee costumes for a fun learning experience. They’ve taught seed planting by describing how seeds germinate, healthy eating, sustainable living and even sponsor scavenger hunts.
SEE teaches adult classes, too. On April 17, SEE will hold a composting class at The Shire at Old Ranch. To register, visit sustainableeducationalexperience.org.
MARKET SAFETY AND DETAILS
Stone and Barr said they intend to run one of the safest markets with respect to the pandemic and will do whatever it takes to bring the community together. At the market last summer, masks were required, hand sanitizer was readily available and social distancing was encouraged.
Last year, the market hosted tote bag and water bottle giveaways, as well as raffles. Depending upon where El Paso County is on the COVID dial at the time of any given market, Stone said the market hopes to have live music, sustainable living classes and chef experiences this year. Sustainable gardening classes, including gardening at high altitude, are also planned.
There will be fun themes throughout the season, including posted recipes for items you can purchase from the market. A Building Your Own Charcuterie Board event is planned for one Saturday. Pay a visit to the Backyard Market in Black Forest Facebook (facebook.com/BackyardMarketinBF) and Instagram (instagram.com/backyardmarketinbf) pages to learn more.
Parking can be an issue when this many people come together. On any given market day, you’ll find cars parked along both sides of Shoup Road near the Black Forest Community Club, as well as in its small parking lot. For the 2021 season, the Black Forest Community Church, 6845 Shoup Road, has given their permission for patrons to park in their lot, Stone said..
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6950 Shoup Road, also allows parking.
The market runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on most Saturdays, May 22-Oct. 23.
A bit of advice? Head to the market early. Vendors have been known to sell out!
Vendors from the first season of the Backyard Market at Black Forest show off their products in October 2020.
Megan’s Mushrooms will offer Black Pearl Trumpets regularly in addition to the wide varieties of mushrooms.
Pamela Brown, owner of Sunshine Green’s Farm, will be at the market again this year with a few new products, including nasturtium, cantaloupe and borage microgreens in addition to her usual extensive offerings. “I’m elated in anticipation for the market to open again and to see all of our customers,” Brown said.
Emerge Aquaponics of Black Forest will be back for another season selling their crisp greens.
On a sunny October day, masked customers shop at the Backyard Market in Black Forest.
Cards by Molly was one of the successful youth-run booths at the Backyard Market in Black Forest during its 2020 season. 11-year-old Molly sold handmade cards from her booth, sponsored by Young Entrepreneurs.