The 'Lil Red Wagon

A few weeks ago I decided I needed a better system of getting bulk produce home from the farmer's market in the fall. It's not a long walk from the market to home, but carrying 40-50 pounds of peaches/tomatoes/apples for canning, stocking up on potatoes, onions, garlic, honey and other foods for the winter, plus the festive pumpkins, squashes and corn I can't resist buying every week this time of year, in addition to our regular weekly groceries is quite a chore often requiring multiple trips even with two of us carrying stuff. I decided we needed a wagon.

As luck would have it, I found one at a second-hand shop that fit all of my criteria: it's not plastic, it's made in the USA and is used but in good condition. It's a wooden Berlin Flyer made in Berlin, Ohio. These things, as the website proudly describes, are still made by hand in the USA with quality parts. In fact I emailed the owner and we had a brief exchange. He employs six Amish families. No mass production here. It's the cutest darn wagon you've ever seen. I gave it a good cleaning and touched it up with good old fashioned milk paint, which is also made in the USA, and is made from 100% natural materials: milk, lime and earth pigments just like in centuries before toxic synthetic paints. I then attached a small American flag (actually made in the USA) from Boulder's own McGuckin Hardware (the best little mom & pop hardware shop ever), and she took her maiden voyage into her new life as my market wagon first thing this morning. She was a big hit at the market, and she performed her duty well. We returned with quite a load.

Fall is definitely in the air this morning. Yesterday was gorgeous and sunny, but late last night a mild cool front started pushing through. It's noon now and the temperature is only 55 degrees and it's raining. Appropriate, because the first apples made their appearance at the market this morning and I got really excited when I caught sight of a few small pumpkins. I'm starting to notice the shorter days and my mind is starting to wonder when I'll get my first long snowy night curled up with a book by the fire. Our first snowfall is likely only a few weeks away.

Anyway, I think my wagon needs a name. I'll ponder it over the weekend. Now I need to go unload everything and heat up the kitchen. I've got salsa, ketchup, peach butter, peach salsa, pickled jalapenos, two loaves of bread and a peach cobbler on my "to do" list this weekend.