Buzz Blog

Every Saturday, Pioneer Park hosts the Downtown Farmers Market and every Saturday I come across more and more reasons to restock my fridge with quality local goods! Since there's no shortage of interesting and creative vendors, every week I attempt to highlight a few of my favorite finds! So, here's this week's picks...


Thrive Tonic
Thrive Tonic immediately seems like something you'd find  in the games Oregon Trail or Red Dead Redemption. But after hearing the ingredients in each of these tonics, I was so intrigued. Each bottle contains natural herbs to fight ailments before a sickness can actually take hold. Herbs like ginseng root and eleuthro root are used to increase energy and decrease negative effects of factors like stress. The taste is sweet enough to add to a yogurt or granola but there are hints of cinnamon and such that make it a little strong so I think its fine on its own. They have different tonics to aid different ailments, check out Thrive Tonic’s website to learn more about the recipes!









Prickly Rock Honey Company
Prickly Rock Honey Co. originates out of Wallsburg, Utah and hearing about the  processes behind these honey creations alone is enough to make you pull your wallet out. These beekeepers make honey like a fine wine. One of their flavors, Wildflower Honey, is honestly, organic or not, some of the best honey I’ve had in my existence. The texture is creamy and thick and perfectly congealed. I now know why Winnie the Pooh was so happy getting stuck up in a honey tree, because unprocessed honey really is the way to go. They have other flavors like Rocky Mountain and High Altitude Wildflower which alters the taste and texture based on region. Who knew that effected the result?  I do love this honey and I’d be proud to sport a jar of this on my shelf. You can choose out of many size and flavor options at all times on Prickly Rock Honey Company's website!


Jazzy Journals and Swanky Switches
This tent is almost made more mysterious by not having a company name or artist listed anywhere in sight. The only identifiers of what exactly you’re walking into are tables strewn with notebooks galore on your left and shelving coated with colorful light switch covers on your right. Let's start with Jazzy Journals, these are notebooks you can only get at the Downtown Farmers Market. They do not have a website. They do not have a business space and they do not have a business card! However,  they come in an assortment of books that we all loved as kids: Nancy Drew, Where the Wild Things Are and even Elmo! Jazzy Journals says, “We like to give old books a second chance to be loved again.” I’m always amazed at the creativity that can be put into Reduce-Reuse- Recycle at the Farmers’ market. As for Swanky Switches, don’t we all remember the Saturday Night live skit with Will Farrell rocking out with his gut out on the Triangle? Illuminate your house with that image! Renew your fondest  memories with one of these journals or light switch covers.
























The Wood Shop
The Wood Shop's tent is filled with beautiful wood crafts and art pieces.These wood engravings are a new way to decorate your house because they aren't your average paintings.Each piece is so detailed and intricate, to the point where at first glance they almost resemble a maze. It's not until you step back that you realize you're actually looking at a motorcycle (among other things.  There’s also beautiful furniture, engravings, and other miscellaneous works that I don’t even know how to describe except with the word "magnificent."  All shelves and cases are custom made by the owner, ironically named Cameron Wood! His passion for art could not be clearer. Check out all the cool wood over at  The Wood Shop.



Pop Art
If your like me, you typically watch  movies with a bowl of microwave popcorn. But PopArt Snacks certainly does not fit into the definition of what is typical, it might just even steal the show! PopArt's name is pretty clever, considering they’re  spicing up popcorn with an almost artistic expression, and they literally use pop-art  on the labels and the bags. Nice touch. White Pepper & Cheddar popcorn adds a bit of zest to your has-been cheddar flavors and Rosemary Truffle really gives popcorn some class.  These flavors are bold but still compliment the taste of popcorn without overpowering it. The only flavor I did not particularly have any interest in tasting was the Nori Sesame. This flavor features a seaweed taste. Sea weed is never really on my list of flavors for popcorn, a little too wild for me. However, seaweed aside, the rest of the flavors make for a perfect snack for a stay at home DC movie marathon. Check out all the recipes on their website!