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Best of Missouri Market is worried about economic jitters

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: October 1, 2008 - While experts speculate about how Wall Street's woes will trickle down to mythical "Main Street," Nora Stern frets about its possible impact on something a lot closer to home: the Missouri Botanical Garden's Best of Missouri Market.

The Market -- St. Louisans' opportunity to shop the entire state in a weekend -- returns for its 17th year at the Garden Saturday and Sunday. Artisans from Missouri and nearby Illinois communities sell handcrafted goods including furniture, wooden birds, dried flowers and wreaths, decorative ironwork, soaps, handmade pottery, baskets, decorated gourds, jewelry, wooden toys and garden ornaments. Vendors also sell produce, flowers, plants, herbs, nuts, candies, meats, mushrooms, seasonings, salsas and baked goods grown or made in Missouri.

The Market is a pleasant way to spend a fall day and, for those looking ahead to the holidays, a great place to find one-of-a-kind gifts. But for the vendors it can be an important boost to their bottom line.

Stern, a co-founder of the event, worries this year's Missouri Market could be an indicator of whether consumers are taking Wall Street's market disaster to heart and tightening the reins on their purse strings.

"I told them (the vendors), 'I can't guarantee what kind of sales you're going to have this year,'" Stern said. "If the weather's good, I think our attendance will still be good." But how willing will people be to actually spend money at market? Only time will tell.

"I just keep my fingers crossed that we get a big crowd again and that people will support these vendors," she said.

"I am so keenly aware -- more this year than ever -- of what these guys (vendors) bring to the table. Some of them are literally hand-to-mouth. They're out there toiling, working, creating, growing, you name it. This is the true American spirit as far as I'm concerned.

"I think that's one of the reasons the market is so popular -- because it's things people here are actually making. It's not made in China or Taiwan or Mexico. It's made right here in Missouri, and in some cases Illinois. I think that is huge."

This year's market features 32 new vendors among the 125. That's no accident.

"We cut 25 percent of the vendors every year," Stern said. "We did that from the first year. We knew to keep the market viable we had to have new vendors every year. It's important to keep it fresh."

New vendors include:

  • Spiceman Enterprises of Kansas City featuring Creole seasonings
  • Blue Heron Orchard of Canton with apples, apple cider, apple vinegar, apple syrup and apple butter
  • Crow Kitchen of St. Louis featuring organic seed bird food mixes
  • Blues Hog Barbecue (sauce and gourmet seasonings) of Perry
  • Marcacci Ironworks of St. Louis with ornamental ironwork, wire racks and garden art
  • Glass Compositions of Marthasville featuring stained and fused glass plates set in window frames
  • Mitch Yung Ceramic Design of Hollister
  • Gourds by M. A. Katke of Louisiana, Mo.

Some returning favorites are scrimshaw artist "Mike" Ochonicky, jewelry maker Kenya Ajanaku, Baskets by Gina, The Bent Tree, ASL Pewter, Bankhead Chocolates, Diane Katzman Design and Persimmon Hill Farm.
Thinning the vendors is one of Stern's toughest duties but this year other factors intervened.

"The way this world is going right now, it's not so easy to find these people," Stern said. "Even people we asked back -- some started canceling. For some it was health. For others it was reversals in their businesses or weather disasters."

She is moved by the "upbeat attitude in the face of adversities" she sees. "How can you not be impressed by that?" she asked. "If I could afford to, I'd reach out and help all of them."

Stern is heartened by the record-breaking crowd (25,400) at last year's market despite temperatures more akin to August than October and the fact that the Japanese Festival last month that broke all attendance records at the Garden.

"But that was not in this (economic) climate," she said.

"We have our heart and soul in this event and totally believe in it. When I glow all over about it, it's because I really do believe it's that good. It's good for the Garden, good for the city and good for Missouri. I think it's even more important now than ever before to tap this kind of thing."

Kathie Sutin is a freelance journalist.