West Chester Growers Market
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Vendor Spotlight: Ellen April Handcrafted Soap

6/30/2015

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What would you like customers to know regarding your products?
We source our ingredients ethically. For example, we use palm oil in our soap because it creates a hard, long lasting bar that is mild and cleanses well. But when we heard about the threat to the orangutan due to the rapid loss of the fragile ecosystem of Malaysian rain forests, we made the decision to only purchase organic palm oil grown on sustainable plantations in South America. Yes, it costs more. But we care about the earth and strive to make our soap as earth-friendly as possible.

What type of ingredients are your handcrafted soaps made from?
Ellen April soap starts with the finest vegetable oils and luxury butters. It is scented with essential plant oils and colored with botanicals, beneficial clays and pure earth minerals. We're proud of these fine ingredients and list them on every bar we make.

How long does it take to make a batch of soap?  
This is the question we are asked most often. And it's the least straight forward to answer, because there are several steps in the soap making process, often spread out over several days.
 
1. Weigh liquid vegetable oils for each batch. Melt cocoa butter & coconut oil before adding them to the liquid oils.    
2.  Weigh essential oils and measure herbs, clays and colorants. 
3. Weigh liquid and lye and combine.   
4. Add lye mixture to oil mixture, blend and then add essential oils and colorants.   
5. Pour into molds and rest overnight.    
6. Next unmold, slice into logs, cut into bars and stack on trays.   
7. Cure soap on trays for one month before it is ready to bring to market.

Not counting the cure time, each batch takes approximately 3 hours to make.  

Do you have a website and/or Facebook page?  
Yes, we are excited to have a new website this year with a shopping cart and $6.00 flat rate shipping to anywhere in the continental US. Our website is ellenapril.com. We also have a Facebook page, but I must admit that I don't check in or update it as often as I should.

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Vendor Spotlight: Applied Climatology

6/24/2015

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What would you like customers to know about your business?
We are a small family-owned, licensed retail grower of perennials, shrubs & trees. We specialize in growing a wide selection of new introductions, unusual, rare and cutting-edge varieties, which you won't find in a typical box store or local nursery. However, we try to find a balance by growing tried-and-true, older varieties as well.

Where are you located?

We previously had a garden center in Lewes, Delaware; however the resort economy there was hit hard by the onset of the recession, forcing us to close at the end of the 2006 season. We missed growing plants and interacting with customers so much that in 2011 we decided to start growing small quantities of perennials, shrubs and trees at home in Wilmington, DE. Presently, we only sell our plants at the West Chester Growers Market.


What's new this season?
We have several new varieties that we are debuting each week.

The best way to keep up with our inventory and what we are bringing to the market would be through our weekly Garden Club emails.  Our detailed inventory lists provide comprehensive plant information including quantities, pictures, growing information and prices.  Stop by our tent to sign up!  We also post plant photos and growing information daily on our Facebook page 

Later this season, we will have a nice selection of new shrubs introduced by Proven Winners, fruit trees, thornless berry plants, unusual Japanese Maple trees, as well as new varieties of Coreopsis, Heucheras and Echinacea (Coneflowers) developed by leading hybridizer Terra Nova Nurseries Inc.



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Vendor Spotlight: Stargazers Vineyard and Winery

6/19/2015

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Where are you located? Our 10-acre vineyard is located 12 miles west of the market. Everyone is welcome to take a stroll in the vineyard to check out the grapes or visit our tasting room that is open on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5:00 p.m.

What is unique about your vineyard/winery? We take pride in our sustainability efforts ranging from use of low impact or organic pesticides to generating renewable energy from our solar panels. We are also one of the few wineries in the area to offer an array of award-winning sparkling wines.

Are you producing any new wines for the 2015 season? A dry, red blend called Warp Drive was just released, and keep an eye out for Cabernet Franc later this summer.

What would you like your customers to know? Our vineyard, on the gentle south-facing slopes overlooking the Brandywine Creek, provides not only an ideal location for growing our grapes, but also a picturesque view for a weekend visit to sample our owner-produced wines.

Do you have a website and/or Facebook page? Yes, please visit our Website as well as our page on Facebook for news and events.


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Copyright 2018 West Chester Growers Market
  • Home
  • About
  • Our Vendors
    • A - Z
    • Artisan Hand Crafted
    • Bread & Baked Goods
    • Flowers & Plants
    • Fruits, Veggies & Herbs
    • Honey & Maple Products
    • Meats & Cheese
    • Winter Only Vendors
  • Blog
  • What's Fresh
  • Directions
  • Become a Vendor
  • Contact Us
    • Musician Application
    • Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Application