The veggies are in! And hand-poured chocolates and organic USDA-certified eggs and flowers and artisan cheese and soda and smoked fish and breads and local wine in bio-degradable containers — August really is the farmers market month!

In Kingston, we are blessed to have so many local producers bringing their goods to our beautiful marina park. A special thank you to the Port of Kingston for the landscaping and care that embellish our home.

During July, we enjoyed several special events: the Fourth of July Market, the annual Christmas in July to raise money for our local food banks (thank you to each of the generous market vendors who donated to the raffle baskets), the North Kitsap Arts & Crafts Festival (this was a strong collaboration between the Market and the Festival that benefited everyone), and one Saturday, belly dancing on the stage during music intermission.

You never know what you’ll find at the Kingston Farmers Market!

The Market is all about neighbors sharing with neighbors. Here are two more shout outs for sharing. One is to Gordon and Wolfle Elementary School teachers and kids for our annual postcard art. This year, we had 150-plus student entries, which we had to winnow to 22 for printing. You can purchase the postcards at the Market Information Booth and view even more on the Market’s website.

The second shout-out is to the Kingston Library for story hour 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on any Saturday when it isn’t pouring rain! Thank you!And thank you to every person in Kingston who shops at the Market. You are sending local dollars to local vendor families.

For many, the Market is a crucial piece of their retirement income. For others, the vital second income. For some, it is a way to test the waters for their new product idea (Quite a few have blossomed into retail storefronts and wholesale operations).

Music lineup for August (performances begin at 10 a.m. and play through closing):
— Aug. 4: Soft Majesty. Beautiful 12-string Pop Duo;
— Aug. 11: Gerry Sherman. Upbeat Bluezy Originals;
— Aug. 18: Valerie Markel. Rich, Passionate Indie/Folk;
— Aug. 25: The Julie Duke Band. Upbeat Blues.

Interested in selling at the Market? Visit our website, www.KingstonFarmersMarket.com, for full information.