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Be Local: Support area food stands, markets

By John Sacco for The Almanac newsroom@observer-Reporter.Com 6 min read
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The Farmhouse Market offers a variety of goods.

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This bag was for sale recently at The Farmhouse Market.

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The Farmhouse Market offers at least 14 dozen cupcakes for sale each day it is open.

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The Farmhouse Market

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Duda’s Farm Market

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Locally sourced produce is a big seller at Duda’s Farm Market.

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Patrons dine recently at Casciola’s Twin Twist and Diner in Cecil.

Editor’s note: This is a weekly series focusing on the importance of buying local.

Food stands have gained greater popularity through the course of the pandemic.

More people are looking to purchase food in ways other than the traditional runs to the grocery or convenience stores.

Food stands and markets are some of the two alternatives during these times.

“A lot of our customers are telling us that being able to visit us and shop here is refreshing for them,” said Daesha McClay, one of the co-owners of The Farmhouse Market, based on Gashel Road in Claysville.

McClay and fellow owner, Sarah Clark, have been in business three seasons. The market is open two weekends a month, typically opening in June through October. The opening was pushed back a bit this year because of the pandemic.

But the customers are coming back and happy to be on the porch of Clark’s home, where they can purchase their goods and goodies.

McClay said of all The Farmhouse Market offers, the most popular item is the cupcakes, at least 14 dozen to help fill the bakery case.

The market also features homemade dill pickles and other homemade baked goods, including cookies, local honey and maple syrup and canned goods.

The majority of the market’s customers are local, but they’ve had customers from Ohio and West Virginia.

“This has been our best season ever,” McClay said. “People just want to get out and in the open air.

“We had to move our opening to July this year but we really do try to stick to the schedule we establish in January. We only advertise on Facebook and we are doing well with that. It seems the interest in us has picked up since last fall. We are fortunate to be attracting new people here and to have so many returning customers.”

At Casciola’s Twin Twist and Diner, in Cecil, adjustments have been made but as difficult as it has been for businesses, things are going well.

“We have done very well,” said Wendie Liberatore, who owns the business with her husband. “We closed the diner after 21 years. But we have a backyard where kids can play and outside seating. We’re all take out now.”

Casciola’s food offerings features Italian and steak hoagies, grilled chicken sandwich, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, footlong hot dogs with the options of chili and cheese along with various types of fries, and chicken strips.

“Everyone is wearing the masks and gloves,” Liberatore said. “We’ve made the adjustments. So far, it’s been a great year for the business.”

Duda Farms, based in Brownsville, reports an uptick in business at their various open air food stands and in its market on the farm.

The offerings are plentiful between vegetables and fruits along with some other special items unique to Duda Farms.

“We’ve definitely seen more people interested in canning sauce, pickles and so on,” Mark Duda said. “We also know people want to shop more in open air places rather than being confined.

Duda said his business has offerings of sweet corn, tomatoes – of all types – peppers, onions, some herbs, cantaloupes and pumpkins.

“We will be producing our own through October and Halloween,” Duda said.

“In our indoor market we have canned goods, full line of spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and other convenience items.

“The weather has made it difficult, too. It’s been a hard year, the hardest in our 50 years of doing this. But we’re surviving and doing the best we can to serve customers and they are doing their best to support us.”

Two true food stands, upstart Blazin’ Bistro in Roscoe and Zane’s – a weekend barbeque on weekends in Canonsburg and Cecil – are enjoying success.

Blazin’ Bistro, is only into its third week of operation, but Jason Schultz – owner, operator and cook, is pleased with the start.

While he’s operating out of a shed at the Roscoe Slovak Club, a food truck is ordered and should be delivered by the end of October. Blazin’ Bistro will then become a road show of wonderful flavors and food.

Schultz, a long-time volunteer fireman, found himself making more than 200 sandwiches every other Thursday to fill the needs of the patrons of the Roscoe Fired Department’s bingo games.

“Some of my friends suggested I branch out and start a business of my own,” Schultz said. “Heather Sickles Lusk (his partner, fiancée, and chief helper) and I looked into some things. People said we had good food, reasonably priced, and it is what customers would want.

“We decided to give it a try.”

Schultz said the name was born of a discussion on his patio and the Blazin part comes from him being a fireman for so many years.

Blazin Bistro features Pittsburgh sandwiches – hamburger, capicola or chicken – along with grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and grilled chicken sandwiches. Schultz also has daily features, which has included, birds’ nest, green beans and rice, and just the other day “Polish Day” with kielbasa, sauerkraut, pierogies and haluski – his grandmother’s recipe.

“It’s still a learning curve,” Schultz said. “If it weren’t for my family, and especially Heather, I wouldn’t be doing this. It’s exciting.”

Zane Karchella said he’s been in the food business for 30 years and his barbeque offering on the weekends – Saturdays in Canonsburg, outside VFW 191, and Sunday on Route 50 in Cecil – have a loyal following of customers.

His food features, rubs, chicken, pulled pork, kielbasa and sometime beef brisket.

“I do a fish fry on Fridays at the VFW,” he said. “I bought another smoker. It’s going well. We do have loyal customers, some come every Saturday, some come every Sunday and some both days. We count on them.”

Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.

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