TORRINGTON ­– The Torrington Farmer’s Market was held for the first time this summer on Thursday, June 24, from 4-6 p.m. The market is scheduled for every Thursday, on the north end of City Park.

For the first market, nine vendors participated. Sheila Muhlenkamp, who serves on the market’s board of directors, said it was a good turnout for the first one. Four of the vendors were new
this year.

KatoCreations and Bar h L Leather

Crystal Patterson, who owns KatoCreations, and Hannah Simon, who owns Bar h L Leather, had a booth together. Both said they are students at Eastern Wyoming College (EWC).

Patterson sells beaded jewelry – lanyards, earrings and keychains.

“I can custom make pretty much anything we have,” she said. Anyone who wears lanyards, key chains or badge holders for work, like nurses and teachers, will get 20% off a customization.

“I also bead stethoscopes for doctors,” she said.

Simon does leatherwork and sells belts, dog collars, earrings and lanyards.

She also customizes hats and shoes. Simon said it began as a hobby.

“I needed something to do, and it was something I was interested in,” she said. “I learned completely by myself.”

The two started collaborating recently on beaded belts, collars and other goods.

Patterson said she had been looking for a leatherworker to collaborate with for the last two years. After finding Simon’s work on Facebook, she reached out.

“And that sparked a friendship,” Patterson said.

A couple of months ago, Simon and Patterson decided to sell their items at farmer’s markets in Torrington and Scottsbluff.

“My great grandpa always did farmer’s market with all his produce, so why not follow him, in a way,” Simon said.

Geega’s Gourmet Goodies

Alicia Lincoln had a booth with decorated sugar cookies. 

“I will have them every week in different designs,” Lincoln said. This week’s designs were sunflowers, mason jars and fruit.

Lincoln said she loves the creative process and said it is therapeutic for her. She already had most of her supplies, from selling at other farmers markets in past years.

“I had a business out in California and then we moved to Virginia, so I have done this before, just not here,” she explained.

Lincoln said it has been convenient for her to be able to bake her products at home, since she homeschools her kids. According to Lincoln, farmer’s markets in the area are much more “home-friendly” compared to places with more restrictions, like California.

Lincoln encourages people to come out and try a sample of her cookies.

The Norwood’s Nursery

“We have a lot of herbs and flowers, as well as a couple of tomato plants and vegetable plants,” said Jon Norwood, who owns a nursery in LaGrange. 

“I do have some heirloom vegetables, unique heirloom tomatoes, as well as some perennials that do well in the area,” he said.

Norwood said he will likely be at the market multiple times this summer.

“Chances are we might actually have milk and milk products later on,” he said.

Norwood said he decided to become a vendor to have another way to get his plants to people in the community.

To prepare for the first market, Norwood said he looked through his herb selection to see what was ready and what looked good.

The 160

Danielle Baker said she started “The 160” as a shop on Etsy a couple of months ago.

Baker offered hand-tooled leatherwork and needle-felted wool items. Though she did not bring them to the first market, Baker said she also does large paintings and makes salves and bath salts.

“I do custom work for pet portraits and watercolor paintings and felted animals,” she said. Baker said she can customize leather items with names or brands.

Leather craft and wool is my passion and I’d like to make something of that,” she said.

To prepare for the first farmer’s market, Baker said she simply bought a tablecloth. The items she had for sale are also available on her Etsy shop.

“But yeah, some of this stuff I’ve had for a while now, and I’d like to find good homes for them,” she said.

Since opening her online shop, Baker said it has been rewarding to learn about e-commerce and getting her products into people’s homes.

Muhlenkamp said the market lost produce vendors last year. Megan Brittingham, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator, said they would happily welcome new produce vendors or other vendors.

The application can be found at the extension office, the chamber of commerce or by visiting wyoextension.org/goshencounty. Muhlenkamp said anyone interested in becoming a vendor can call her at 307-534-6799 for more information.