A10 LOCAL Wallowa County Chieftain Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Seasoned and prospective vendors attend the Farmers Market Vendor Symposium By ANN BLOOM For the Wallowa County Chieftain Joe Sims/Contributed Photo This month’s noxious weed is whitetop (Lepidium draba). Anyone fi nding the weed in Wallowa County is urged to contact Wallowa Canyonlands Partnership Program Manager Joe Sims. Noxious weed of the month is whitetop Wallowa County Vegetation Department ENTERPRISE — As part of the Wallowa County Vegetation Department and Weed Board’s ongoing edu- cation eff orts, in conjunction with Wallowa Resources, the Chieftain features a nox- ious weed each month that is on the county’s list of nox- ious and invasive weeds. This month’s noxious weed is whitetop (Lepidium draba). The goal is to educate the public, as landowners and county residents are instru- mental in identifying and eradicating those weeds. What: It is a perennial that grows up to 2 feet tall, has leaves that are covered in short, soft white hairs, and a distinctive fl ower head of several small, white, four-pedaled fl owers, giving the plant a white, fl at-topped appearance. It blooms from May into mid-summer and continues to grow until frost. Where: Whitetop pre- fers open, unshaded areas and can be found in a vari- ety of diff erent soil types. It prefers moist sites or areas of moderate rainfall. In Wal- lowa County, it can be found predominantly in the lower Imnaha Canyon and contrib- uting drainages. Dangers: It grows in Joe Sims/Contributed Photo Whitetop is a perennial that grows up to 2 feet tall, has leaves that are covered in short, soft white hairs, and a distinctive fl ower head of several small, white, four- pedaled fl owers. dense patches that domi- nate areas, degrading pas- ture areas and restricting the growth of other species. How you can help: If you fi nd whitetop either on your property or while out and about, take note of the location. You can contact our Wallowa Canyonlands Partnership Program Man- ager Joe Sims at 541-426- 8053, ext. 61. ENTERPRISE — Despite the snowstorm, pro- spective Wallowa County Farmers Market vendors turned out to learn valuable tips for success from sea- soned vendors at the mar- ket’s vendor symposium held Saturday, April 16, in Cloverleaf Hall. The symposium included a panel of current ven- dors composed of Wendy McCullough of Sally B Farms, a goat milk soap and lotion vendor; Anne Rob- inson of Annie’s Southfork Silverworks, a silver jew- elry maker; and Christian Niece and Ali Lyons, the new owners of Backyard Gardens, an organic pro- duce farm. Each presented their perspective on what creates a welcoming booth, suggestions for interacting with customers and ideas for marketing a vendor’s product. Jessica Bogard was introduced as the new mar- ket manager. She pro- vided an overview of the new rules for the market, explained the setup of the booths during the market season and explained the fee structure for participa- tion, and how to apply to be a market vendor. Robinson said the mar- ket not only off ers an opportunity for vendors to sell their wares, but serves as a cooperative community endeavor. “It contributes to the economy of Wallowa County, and serves as a vibrant community gather- ing spot,” she said. “We are a supportive environment for fi rst time vendors to share their wares and learn how to promote and market their product.” She said it has been espe- cially gratifying to see new vendors go from being fi rst- time vendors, to regulars, to growing their business Contributed Photo The annual Wallowa County Farmers Market vendor symposium took place April 16, 2022. to some even going on to securing a brick-and-mortar business location later. The farmers market off ers everything from fresh produce to photos taken by local photographers, to jew- elry and pottery, to craft items, meat, and baked goods for sale. Music is an integral part of the market featuring local musicians and bands at many of the regular market days. McCullough, a vendor with many years of experi- ence with the farmers mar- ket off ered several ways to help inexperienced, or new vendors, succeed in their sales experiences. “You need to have a story about your products covering the highlights — how you make them, ingre- dients, how it’s grown, etc. It should be short and engaging. Entice people to buy or at least ask you ques- tions. People are interested in what you do, and how you do what you do. They want to get to know you and your product,” she said. The panelists off ered their tips for success includ- ing how to set up an attrac- tive booth, pricing, market- ing and customer service and words of encourage- ment for when times are slow, or sales are down. “Each Saturday is dif- ferent, so don’t get dis- couraged if your sales are down,” Lyons said. “Hang in there. If you are friendly, smile and laugh with customers, have a catchy story about your products, have a good prod- uct that is attractively dis- played and priced right you will be successful,” McCullough said. There is also the prac- tical side of being a ven- dor at the farmers market, as Ali Lyons and Christian Niece pointed out during the symposium. “Don’t hesitate to ask for support from other ven- dors. Bring layers of clothes and hats for every kind of weather and lots of water for the heat,” Lyons said. All the panelist vendors stressed engaging with cus- tomers as a top priority for being a successful vendor. “It’s a fun event and builds community!” Lyons said. Robinson advised fi rst time vendors to look at their product and hone it to what locals and tourists are attracted to and need. “Tourists especially love to go home with a little piece of Wallowa County,” she said. The Wallowa County Farmers Market is accepting applications for new ven- dors. It is especially inter- ested in vendors who would like to sell prepared food items. For more information on how to become a ven- dor at the Wallowa County Farmers Market, contact Bogard at wallowacounty- farmersmarket@gmail.com. Opening day of the market is Saturday, May 28, at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Stein’s Distillery in Joseph. Trail-with-rails project plans update Project still on track despite opposition Chieftain staff Now accepting applications for a new position: Development & Operations Coordinator For position details and how to apply visit: www.wallowahistory.org/nowhiring Congratulations! Enterprise High School Junior, Harlie Stein daughter of Adam and Aneliese Stein of Joseph is the new Queen of the District 3 Idaho High School Rodeo Association. WALLOWA — The Joseph Branch Trail Con- sortium, the nonprofi t group that hopes to establish a trail- with-rails alongside the exist- ing railroad tracks that run between Elgin and Joseph, will hold its annual member gathering Saturday, May 7, in Wallowa, according to a press release. The gathering will run from 4-6 p.m. at the Nez Perce Wal- lowa Homeland Project and will include project updates, a short hike along the trail route in Wallowa and compli- mentary food and beverages. There also will be an announcement of the winners in the group’s spring drawing. Drawing prizes include two seats on a fi ve-day rafting trip on the Snake River, two nights lodging at the Wallowa Lake Lodge, dinner and drinks for two at the Gold Room in Joseph and an echo fl y fi sh- ing rod. A limited number of draw- ing tickets are available until May 7 via the website Joseph- BranchTrail.org. The consortium hopes to establish a 63-mile route along the tracks from Elgin to Joseph, but objections by landowners in Wallowa County have led to the Wal- lowa County Board of Com- missioners denying condi- tional use permits for the project where it runs through the county. Wallowa County Commis- sion Chairwoman Susan Rob- erts, who is co-chairwoman of the Wallowa Union Railroad Authority, said Feb. 21 she believes the project is unlikely to go through. “It’s doubtful it’ll ever go through because people were vehemently opposed to it,” Roberts said. “Wallowa County Planning (Depart- ment) at this time is not involved because it’s not in our county.” But Gregg Kleiner, proj- ect coordinator for the consor- tium, said in an email April 26 that he believes there is strong hope for the success of the project. “Momentum is building, our membership is growing and we’re attracting major funding and support,” Kleiner said. He added in a May 2 email that the conditional use permit was not formally denied, as it had been withdrawn upon the recusal of one commissioner. All are welcome to join the May 7 gathering, but an RSVP is requested by send- ing an email to info@joseph- branchtrail.org.