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Jeffrey Schatz holds oyster mushrooms in the greenhouse that he created in his basement on Edmondson Ridge Road. The Catonsville High graduate, who sells his mushrooms to two Baltimore restaurants, Woodberry Kitchen and Corner BYOB, will be a new vendor at the Catonsville Sunday Farmers Market, which opens for the season on May 6. (Staff photo by Sarah Pastrana / April 29, 2012) |
The old and the new will be on display as Catonsville's Sunday Farmers Market opens on the parking lot near the Friendly's restaurant along Catonsville's Main Street May 6.
The market will have 17 or 18 regular vendors, most of whom are returning from last year's series, along with some part-time vendors, according to Teal Cary, executive director of the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce which hosts the market.
One of the parttime vendors will be Boordy Vineyards, which will have a stand at the opening, and return for another date in May and one in September, Cary said.
A law signed by Gov.Martin O'Malleylast May allows vintners to sell bottles of wine, but not individual servings, at farmers markets as often as 12 times a year in Baltimore County and any other county that has passed the legislation permitting it.
Among the new participants to the market, which will operate until November this year, are two operated by Catonsville residents.
The Corner Spore, which Jeffrey Schatz began operating out of his house on Edmondson Ridge Road only a few months ago, will sell a variety of mushrooms.
"We're doing several species of fresh edible mushrooms and we're also doing ready-to-grow blocks and logs," Schatz said, explaining that the blocks and logs come inoculated with mushrooms for consumers to grow their own.
"This is our first big venture," he said. "We studied the market a little bit and pretty much saw a gaping hole for gourmet edibles."
Schatz said he has studied mushrooms for 10 years and decided to run his business as he continued his research into the alternative uses of the edible fungus.
The 1993 Catonsville High School graduate has examined how to extract ethanol from mushrooms and which fungi attract bees, which could lead to providing a natural way of pollinating a garden.
Schatz sells many of the mushrooms he grows to Hampden restaurants Woodberry Kitchen and Corner BYOB.
"We needed a venue to sell our product basically," Schatz said. of "It's also right up the street from us, so we saw that as the perfect venue."
Another newcomer will be Nonni's Pies and Tarts. The stall, operated by Catonsville resident Rebecca Quinn, will sell baked goods.
And when the Farmers Market opens for its third season at 730 Frederick Road this Sunday, it will have company.
The chamber of commerce's inaugural Catonsville Flower Fest and Garden Party will make its debut about 400 feet away from the market on Egges Lane.
Event attractions will include demonstrations from master gardeners, flowers and bedding plants for sale, crafters selling flower-themed items, food, live music and a spring bonnet contest.
"The chamber wants to do everything it can to promote the beautification of Catonsville," Cary said.
Cary said the new event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., has the potential to benefit area businesses and raise funds for the chamber.
Reggie Sajauskas was a member of the chamber committee that began planning the event about five months ago.
"It's a perfect opportunity. They'll be able to order flowers to pick up right beforeMother's Day(May 13)," said Sajauskas, owner of Objects Found at 818 Frederick Road. "It'll be local, it'll be green and it's just great for Catonsville."
