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Twenty-five hardy vendors set up today for the 7 a.m. opening of the 33rd season (if I’m counting right) of the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market. There to greet them were a 36-degree temperature, 14 mph winds gusting to 25 mph and dull, gray skies. Before the market closed at 11, intermittent snow showers said “hello,” too.

Fortunately, a decent-sized group of buyers showed up, especially around 8 a.m., although market coordinator Mercedes Taylor-Puckett told me a jump in the winds a while later caused customers to scatter. Nevertheless, Kate, the tamale vendor, sold out, and Avery Lominska had sold out his spinach by the time I was there around 9:30.

There were lots of other options, though, including honey aplenty (the hive collapse business doesn’t seem to be a problem with bees that aren’t transported for pollination purposes), some good-looking herbs, especially chives; assorted baked goods; eggs; beef, bison, emu, and elk; and lots of “value-added” items such as soaps at this producers-only market.

Taylor-Puckett noted that the market was able to purchase a trailer to store the tents used for the market’s special events and to shelter customers who eat their purchases on the spot. Minus the trailer, the market probably would have had to jettison the tents altogether. She reported a few new vendors had signed up this year, although they will mostly be selling baked goods, and someone (I forget who) is reviving or taking over an existing orchard.

Taylor-Puckett confirmed that Wild Horse Orchards is no more; the operators assured that conclusion when they cut down their apple trees. I will miss them, but it’s easy to understand why someone would end the difficult work for little income.

Meanwhile, in her weekly market newsletter, Taylor-Puckett noted, “most produce growers are running 10-14 days behind a typical year. But as we know, there really is no such thing as a typical year.” That truth seems even truer these last few years, but we’re all glad this year’s sustained (endless?) winter hasn’t caused the huge losses that last year’s early warmth provoked.

I wish the market and the farmers well and look forward to warmer mornings. Read about what’s going on at other farmers markets at Eat.Drink.Better.