Hartford Fair (Croton, Ohio) - Sunday, August 3 thru Sunday, August 10

It's that time of year again!   The kids have mixed feelings about this!  They look forward to the Fair all summer; but they know that once the Fair is over, the start of school is very close!

This is the 155th year of the Hartford Fair, an independent fair in Licking County, Ohio.   One of the most popular events, the truck and tractor pull, will be at 7:30  p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, this year.

Some of the fun actually begins on the day before the Fair begins.  On Saturday, August 3, the fairgrounds are open mainly for the entry of livestock and registration/set up of exhibitors.  There are some scheduled meetings, crafts and games, retrievers' demonstrations, and a flower show, all leading up to the official Opening Ceremony at 6 p.m. followed by a parade at 6:30, musical entertainment at 9 p.m., and fireworks at 10 p.m.   Many families will set up camp at the fairgrounds and stay all week while exhibiting their livestock or other agricultural entries in the Fair's competitions.

Judges will oversee contests of showmanship and quality among various breeds of animals including horses, cows, goats, rabbits, poultry, sheep, and swine.  The fair is home to many other types of fun contests including:

• Rooster Crowing,
• Ice Cream Eating,
• Kids' M&M Cookie contest
• Cherry Pie contest,
• breads contest
• pedal tractor pull,
• school bus and pick-up truck races,
• antique tractor pull,
• turkey-calling contest,
• frog "jump-off",
• wild game cook-off,
• sweets and greens cook-off,
• harness racing,
• motorcycle racing,
• motocross racing
• goat obstacle-course contest,  
• demolition derby

In addition to contests, there are demonstrations by coon dogs, retrievers, craftspersons making paper with seeds, safety demonstrations about guns, archery, and fishing.   There are also activities such as canoeing, kayaking, creeking, and mining for gems.

Exhibits, exhibits galore, and all will be judged!    Animals, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, gems, classic cars, crafts, insects, you name it--you can find it at the Hartford Fair.   

Traditional attractions including food vendors, games, rides, and musical entertainment mingle with the exhibits all week long  

Besides being so much fun, the Fair can be educational as well.  You can learn about recycling, organic gardening, composting, pollination, attend a church service, and donate blood, all in the same week.Hartford Fair Website

In the Store Today

I am always excited to let everyone know about new "fresh" items arriving in the store, for a couple of reasons.  They don't stay "fresh" for very long, and my prices are very good!   The prices are very good because I want you to come in and buy while it's still fresh!  

STEAKS!

Back by popular demand, USDA Choice grade ball-tip sizzlers! From grain-fed, western beef, these are 6 ounce sirloin steaks, wet aged for tenderness, and available 4 for $15 or $3.99 per steak.   We try to keep these in stock every week that calls for some sunshine!  They are fresh, not frozen.

These steaks are great on the grill, in stir fries, or even on a shish-ka-bob.  Ball-tip sizzlers are flavorful and tender enough so you don't need to marinate them.  They are vacuum packed one per pack, so it is recommended you remove the vac pack about 5 minutes before you are ready to grill them. 

If you want a whole box of 32 steaks, order by Thursday morning for pickup on or after the following Tuesday.    Beef prices vary weekly, so call for the current price.  Case discount varies.

PRODUCE!

During the summer starting about mid-July, we receive deliveries of local produce purchased from the local produce auction North of Mount Vernon.  This week we have green bell peppers, red tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, candy onions, and green cabbage.   We also have a box of California cantaloupes that are nice and ripe offered two melons for $1.50!

If your garden is no longer producing some of these items or hasn't started yet....or if you don't have a garden this year, you can still enjoy fresh, garden tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cabbage, and onions grown locally!    If you want a box all to yourself, just call by Monday so I can make sure we get enough for you at the auction on Wednesday.   If the prices on an item seem to high, based on supply and demand at the auction, our supplier will just pass on the item.   Therefore, we cannot guarantee we can get the item you desire.

Will the Rain Ever Stop? Stop by for an Ice-Cold Soda!

We got through a soggy Fourth of July holiday that fell on a Thursday of a rainy week.  The holiday weekend was almost nonstop rain and clouds....until Sunday, July 7.   Sunday had quite a bit of sunshine until late afternoon.  Although the day was muggy, it was still quite a pleasure to see sunshine after all the rain and clouds.  

On Sundays, Homer Village Market is closed.   This past Sunday felt like a lazy day of rest.   There were still chores to catch up on, but the pace was a lot slower than on a "work day".     I was around the back rooms of the store almost all day until venturing out early evening.

Sometime during Sunday night, thieves vandalized the Pepsi machine out front of the store, with the intent of forcing entry to get the money inside the vending machine.   They must have visited during the rain storms or maybe a brief lull in the rain.  They left behind a muddy handprint on the store beside the vending machine, and took the cash box from inside the machine.

All's well that ends well.  The thieves probably won't try that again.  Risking getting caught in the act for such a small monetary reward! 

On Monday, July 8, Pepsi sent a repairman within an hour of getting my call about the problem.  They replaced all the damaged parts, installed a new cash box, and tested it to be sure it works again.

So please stop by for an ice cold can of pop from the Pepsi machine for the price of 75 cents!    The machine is kept well-stocked and in good repair.   The area is well lit and close to the parking lot. The flavors currently available in 12 ounce containers are:

• Pepsi
• Diet Pepsi
• Mountain Dew
• Diet Mountain Dew
• Dr. Pepper
• Diet Dr. Pepper
• Orange Crush
• Mug Rootbeer - No Caffeine
• Sierra Mist - All Natural - lemon lime - No Caffeine
• Aquafina Water - 12 ounce bottle

Enjoy the summer!

Something "Cool" to Drink....What about Calories?

Have you tried the Starbucks Iced Coffee?  When I have a cup of hot coffee in the morning, or anytime of day,  I like it black.   Yet, there is something about this iced coffee with 2% milk and just a little bit of sugar that tastes so good to me in the afternoon!  It's a little bit like having dessert!

 For those of you wondering about calories, black coffee is zero calories, the 13.7-ounce bottle of  Mocha Frappuccino is 260 calories, and the 11-ounce bottle of  iced coffee is 110 calories.   That doesn't seem too bad for a little treat of iced coffee midday!

 If you are a fan of Mountain Dew to get your day started and to keep your day going, this 12- ounce "Throwback" bottle is fun to drink and is 170 calories, same as a 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew.  This bottle of Dew is sweetened with sugar rather than corn syrup.  

 If you like sweet tea and need to quench your thirst, the 18.5 ounce bottle of Lipton Pure Leaf sweet tea is only 160 calories.     Of course the same size bottle of unsweetened tea quenches your thirst for zero calories.   If you like sweet tea but not the calories, you could get unsweetened tea and add your own low-calorie sweetener, or purchase a bottle of diet iced tea.  I'd much rather drink unsweetened tea so I can splurge on an  ice cream sandwich too!

Speaking of ice cream, if you are looking for the lesser of evils when it comes to calories, sherbet has no fat (110 calories per half cup), and neither does a fudge bar (130 calories) nor a popsicle (90 calories).  The ice cream sandwich tastes satisfying with both fat and sugar and only 190 calories compared to a Klondike bar (290 calories) or a Snickers Ice Cream bar (280 calories).    If you buy a pint of vanilla ice cream and eat the whole pint, you would be consuming 760 calories.  Don't do it!!!

We Will Be Open on the Fourth of July!

If you are out and about on the Fourth of July and find yourself near Homer, stop by the little store for a snack and something to quench your thirst!   For all of you local customers, I hope you will be enjoying your holiday and celebrating with family and friends!

We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 4 and will resume regular hours on Friday and Saturday, open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.    We have freshly ground steak burger for the grill, plenty of lamb chops,  fresh blueberries, lemons for making fresh lemonade, and plenty of ice, bread, milk, and ice cream.  If you are looking for sides or desserts or appetizers for your picnic, please stop by for a nice selection including many new items this week at special prices!

Hope to see you soon!  Have a great holiday weekend!