Bri + Josh Harlan

Spare Thyme Farms LLC

618-340-0774 / 207-520-7573

Spare Thyme Farms is a small market farm run by Bri and Josh Harlan in Waterloo, IL. For the past few years we have been transitioning Bri's 3rd generation family row crop farm into a more diverse and sustainable operation. We produce a great variety of veggies, herbs, cut flowers, houseplants, and chicken and quail eggs. We never use sprays on our produce and our birds are raised on pasture. Our goal is to make our market stand like a mini local grocery store, where there's something everyone will love! We can't wait for the 2023 market season!

We are a small family farm on the outskirts of Waterloo, IL. We have pasture raised non-GMO eggs and fresh produce year round. Herbicide and pesticide free. We use organic compost, beneficial insects, and row covers.

Art Lehr of Lehr Vegetable farm is one of the longest running vendors at Monroe County Farmer’s market. If you’ve been to the market, you know Art! Lehr’s Vegetable Farm is located in Columbia, and the family run business was founded in 1918. It produces peas, onions, radishes, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, corn, potatoes, okra, and more.

Leonard and Alice have been a long time member of the market. They are some of the hardest working people you’d ever meet! They offer bedding plants in spring, flowers, spring produce, peppers, tomatoes, okra, watermelon, cabbage, squash, almost anything! They are a wealth of knowledge and love to answer questions. 

The Hokestead gardens and apiary, located in Hecker, was established in 2022 and produces vegetable and flower seedlings, vegetable and fruit produce, cut flower bouquets, beeswax cosmetics, and honey. We only grow heirloom varieties and utilize organic methods, eliminating all chemical fertilizers and sprays. Our beds are no-till and are nourished with our own compost. We are also passionate about protecting and increasing bee populations, as they are responsible for pollinating roughly 80% of the world's plants, including many of our food sources!

Welcome to the world of Living Millennially Coffee Bar! This lively coffee spot was brought to life by the dynamic duo of Paige Hewett and Caleb Wolz. These local coffee connoisseurs specialize in craft coffee roasting and are known for their pop-up oat milk latte bar. Their coffee is roasted fresh, so you can taste the delicious difference with every sip. And if you love their coffee, they have some fantastic blends and single-origin beans available for purchase by the bag. Plus, you can grab a drink while exploring the rest of the farmers' market. And if that's not enough, they also offer cold brew by the ounce, so you can enjoy your favorite cold brew all week long. So come on down and experience the flavorful and fun world of Living Millennially Coffee Bar!

Our tool sharpening and restoration business has been an ongoing establishment for eight years. We mainly do most of our business at the Waterloo Farmers Market. We also have our workshop and office at our home. This enables Ron to work our business year around. We offer free “Pick up and Delivery”  for our customers outside of Saturday hours. We’ve developed precision sharpening with all of our indoor and outdoor tools and restoration is available for items in need, whether being antiques or years of weathered use. Our experience working with the public has given us much satisfaction and enjoyment

Made from scratch pastries, pie, cake,

Dog treats, gluten free options, freezer meals and homemade ice cream. lizziebobsbakery.com 618-589-3770

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads handle: lizziebobsbakery

Josie's Sweet Treats is a local in-home bakery in Columbia, Illinois owned and operated by Jennifer Brinson. Jennifer is a culinary graduate of St. Louis community college with a degree in baking and pastry.  She started her career with Levy restaurants as the senior sous chef at the Scottrade Center and Peabody Opera House. While Jennifer enjoyed her career with the Blues, Rams and traveling to help with the Kansas City Chefs, Atlanta Falcons, the Kentucky Derby, Senior PGA in St. Louis and more... It was time to slow down. So she went to run a non-profit bakery Destination Desserts, teaching adults with brain injuries how to bake so they could take their new learned skills to the workforce and start their own career. 

In 2020 the opportunity came to stay at home with her young daughter Josie and pursue the dream of working for herself. Josie’s Sweet Treats became a reality in 2021 when Jennifer started selling her sweets at the Monroe County Farmers Market in Columbia utilizing the cottage law.  Specializing in cupcakes, gooey butters, scones, cookies, breads, cobblers and so much more!  With the new change in the cottage law, you can also get Josie’s treats at local festivals and pick-up in Columbia at her residence.  Born and raised in Columbia, Jennifer loves spreading her sweet treats to the local community while supporting other local businesses using local eggs, honey and produce in her products.

FYI

Jennifer has been creating and testing all her recipes since her late teens

Josie’s is a butter only bakery (no margarine) and uses vanilla beans in every recipe

Jennifer's gooey butter recipe was her mothers that she always wanted her to make as a child. She got her hands on it, tweaked a few things, and made it her own!

We are a small batch craft canning company specializing in pickled vegetables and salsas.

Produce hydroponic lettuce greens, herbs and root vegetables.

Flower farm located outside of Waterloo, IL.

A long time vendor at the market. They offer jam, jelly, relishes, baked goods, and seasonal fruits and produce. They carry a wide selection of jam with many interesting flavors. 

There’s nothing quite like the smell, sound and taste of kettle corn! Everyone’s pulled in by the intoxicating scent of fresh popcorn drizzled with caramelizing sugar, and if that isn’t enough, the sound erupting from the kettle piques the interest of all. Kettle To The Metal has carefully perfected their recipes to ensure every batch tastes just as good as the last. And they didn’t stop with the classic kettle corn, heck no, how’s caramel, white cheddar and seasonally fruit flavors sound to you? Kettle To The Metal was founded in 2022 by two farmers, Keith and Betsy Jones, because they didn’t have a kettle corn vendor at their weekly farmers market in Waterloo, IL. With the help of their six children and other family members, they’ve been able to pop into numerous local events, bringing the sultry smell, explosive sound and mouth shattering taste, sure to put a smile on anyone’s face:)

Johanning Farm specializes in pumpkins

Locally grown cut and potted flowers such as mums, sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos, zinnias, snapdragons, and many more!