It’s Farmer’s Market Week! Pick up fresh from the farm dinner on way home Friday at MPark market

My first visit to Manassas Park Farmer’s Market was between thunderstorms, yet the vendors wiped up the water from their booths and shoppers were out in full force finding fresh, local products as they dodged the rain.

The market is run by Smart Markets and located at One Park Center Court, the Town Hall parking lot in Manassas Park on Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.

The Kettle Corn Guy was very busy getting more kettle corn out to sell, but that didn’t stop people from waiting and taking advantage of the free samples. Patrice Cooke, of Manassas Park, is the supervisor of the Benefits Department of Social Services and works at Town Hall. She was waiting for kettle corn and taking a sample. She says she doesn’t miss the market and had picked up some cabbage and squash.

For Deva and Victor Izaguirre, of Crazy Farm in Westmoreland County, it was their first time at the market. Their farm is a family farm and they offer fresh produce that is in season picked that day. When asked about their name, they say they laugh and say they “are just crazy.”

Randall Anderson, of Wicked Oak Farms in Star Tannery, VA, had help from his son, Tucker, 12, and his nephew, Luke, 12. Wicked Oak Farms has sausage, chorizo, eggs, pork, free range chicken, along with some other items. They have been offering items at farmer’s markets for two years.

Whim Pops offers all natural frozen fruit popsicles. The owner is Maria Romano who tends to offer flavors you simply cannot find elsewhere including cucumber and hibiscus. The popsicles are low in calorie and are made with brown sugar or stevia. The kids love them and they will even deliver for parties. The website is https://www.facebook.com/WhimPop .

Doug Linton, owner of Angelic Beef, is happy to talk about his very low fat Piedmontese beef cattle. The cattle are from Italy and very different from other cattle. The meat is low in calories almost equivalent to chicken. Angelic Beef is located in Remington and is processed locally. Linton offers a vast amount of beef products at the market as well as to order. Along with Angelic Beef, the Taste of Local truck, is happy to cook up delicious sandwiches and hamburgers featuring beef from Angelic Beef.

If you are at the market, you must be sure to stop by for a taste and to purchase Queen Victoria’s Island Punch. Adiana Aniteye, of Woodbridge, started bottling her grandmother’s punch recipe in 2011 and it has certainly been a hit. She wholesales some punch and offers it at markets.

She has two recipes, Queen Victoria’s Island Punch and Duchess Punch. Aniteye began making Duchess Punch for those people who cannot have grapefruit due to taking medications. She can be found throughout the area at markets in Bristow, Manassas and Dale City. The punch is a great summer treat.

More information on other vendors and websites can be found at http://smartmarkets.org/ There. is also a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SmartMarketsManassasPark .