Harney County Farmers Market will set up in Hines Park each Saturday, starting in July

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

With the news that the Harney County Farmers Market will begin its second season on Saturday, July 4, there’s already anticipation of seeing John Watts driving into town in his 1925 TT Ford truck, the back loaded with fresh produce.

Watts, 78, lives in Princeton, and grows a variety of crops on his property. On the gentle sloping hillside next to his house, Watts’ garden is planted with corn, potatoes, lettuce, onions, turnips, parsnips, spinach, beets, cucumbers, dill, tomatoes, melons, strawberries, fruit trees and a whole lot more. “You never know what’s going to do well from year to year,” Watts said. “One year one crop will do really well, and the next year — nothing.”

Watts said he’s able to get a jump on the growing season because where his property sits, “spring comes a month earlier, and fall a month later.”

To water his garden, Watts uses a flood irrigation system of taps and hoses. Watts said he can’t use a sprinkling system because of boron in the water, which burn the plants’ leaves.

Less than a mile away from his home, Watts has a larger growing area planted with blackberries, asparagus, rhubarb, grapes and other crops. There is also an orchard of fruit and nut trees, including apricot, plum, pear, peach, apple, cherry, quince, walnut and butternut.

A tall wire fence surrounds the garden to keep animals away from the plants, but it’s not foolproof. Deer tracks are evident throughout, and Watts pointed out scratch marks on the trees where coyotes had climbed up to reach the fruit. Rabbits, squirrels and insects also damage the crops.

In the other direction from Watts’ home, his neighbor Randy Jackson has built a large greenhouse for growing produce. “I’ve had the greenhouse for the last three years,” Jackson said. “John’s been teaching me about gardening.”

Inside, the rows of crops include beans, swiss chard, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Outside, garlic plants line rows of corn.

Jackson said he planted most of the crops in April and May, and is looking forward to a good harvest.

Transport

Along with his fondness for growing an abundance of food, Watts also has an obvious liking to transporting his bounty in his Ford truck.

“Henry Ford once said if you buy a new Model T, it’ll last you a lifetime,” Watts said. “This truck is still going strong.”

The bed of the truck is fashioned from seasoned maple, and covered with a cloth canopy. The inside of the cab is pretty much all original parts, except for the gear-shift knobs, which match the maple truck bed.

Watts and his son, Dave, are both avid Model T enthusiasts, and are more than capable of keeping the vintage vehicle in good shape.

They have several other Model Ts on their property and enjoy time spent working on them, as well as attending Model T rallies around the Northwest.

The market

The Harney County Farmers Market volunteer board of directors has announced that there will be a market at Hines City Park every Saturday, July 4 through Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The adult vendor fee is $2 per Saturday or $18 for the entire season, and the student rate (18 and younger) is $1 per Saturday or $10 for the season.

Watts has signed up with the Farm Direct Nutrition Program (FDNP), so seniors who qualify for the program may use vouchers to purchase fruits and vegetables from Watts at the market.

FDNP funds go to low-income, nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and young children enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and to eligible low-income seniors. Eligible clients will receive these funds as checks in a fixed amount, which they can use from June 1 — Oct. 31 specifically to purchase locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables directly from authorized providers.

Last year, the market eventually grew to include 27 vendors, and the board is hoping to expand that number this year.
To reserve a space, call Kelly Hazen at 573-1809.