Tipp Talk 2010

Tipp Talk-February 8

Posted by Greg on Feb 8, 2012 in 9/11 Machine, Black Bird, Ghost of Blackwood Lane, Marketing, Tipp Talk 2010, Tipp Talk Column | 0 comments

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

Art for the Heart

Next Saturday, the Tipp City Area Arts Council will be holding their “Art for the Heart” artisan showcase and art sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 11 at the Zion Lutheran Church at the corner of Third and Main streets in downtown Tipp City.

This showcase will feature art, photography, pottery, paintings and more from local artists, door prizes, and food served by Ruth White and the “Sisters of the Skillet.”

And I’ll be there, so join me for my first book signing of the new year! I will be signing and selling copies of my four books: “Black Bird“, “The Ghost of Blackwood Lane“, “Tipp Talk 2010“, and my newest book, “The 9/11 Machine“.  Chat with me about my upcoming books, including “Tipp Talk 2011,” to be released soon! Or just drop by and say hi!

Antiques and Artisans Show This Saturday!

Posted by Greg on Jun 20, 2011 in 9/11 Machine, Black Bird, Ghost of Blackwood Lane, Marketing, Tipp Talk 2010 | 0 comments

Coming up this Saturday, June 25th, I’ll have a booth at the famous Antiques and Artisans show, where I’ll be selling and signing books.  Drop by and get a signed copy of “Black Bird,” “The Ghost of Blackwood Lane,” or “Tipp Talk 2010!”  Get your copies now, before I get all rich and famous and I’m too busy to sign them.  For more information the Eighth Annual Antiques and Artisan’s Show in downtown Tipp City, OH, please visit their website.  See you Saturday!

Tipp Talk—June 15

Posted by Greg on Jun 15, 2011 in Tipp Talk 2010 | 0 comments

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in Tipp City, Ohio, by Greg Enslen
(my column from the Tippecanoe Gazette)

Kicking off the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market!

The fifth season of the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market kicked off this past Saturday with sunny skies and a street full of vendors and customers enjoying this summer institution.  I have to say that I’m a little partial to the Farmers’ Market, because I was one of the founders!  My friend Reed Spencer and I were brainstorming back in 2006 about ways to bring more shoppers and visitors downtown, and the subject of a farmers’ market kept coming up.

I used to live in Burke, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., and I enjoyed the farmers’ market there.  It was nothing like the Tipp market—they had 40 or 50 vendors, spread across a huge parking lot—it was nice to get fresh-from-the-farm foods, crafts, and flowers.  There was even a beekeeper who sold freshly harvested honey with pieces of comb in big mason jars.

The farmers’ market in Burke was a reminder that there was a life outside the beltway, without all the hustle and bustle and traffic and stress. And when Samantha talked me into moving back to Ohio, I realized that the small-town feel here was one of the things I missed most about living in the Midwest.

With the support of the Downtown Tipp City Partnership and many co-conspirators, Reed and I kicked off the first Tippecanoe Famers’ Market in 2006.

Planning Underway for Months

And, here we are, five years later. Throughout the spring, the Farmers’ Market Committee has been meeting regularly, recruiting sponsors, vendors and volunteers, preparing for this year’s Market.  Frank Scenna and Rebecca Woodward are leading the charge this year, and our committee recruited a great group of sponsors: PeCo, Re/Max, Tipp of the Town, Posh Apparel, DJ’s Pizza, Kanoe Café, One Call Now, and the Tippecanoe Gazette.

We put together a schedule for the Hip-in-Tipp Booth, which highlights one local nonprofit each week, and our KIDZ Booth, a free space where young people can sell their own handmade or homegrown products.

We also welcomed several awesome new volunteers, but we’re still looking for a few more helpers. Interested in joining us?  Email volunteer coordinator Sonya Lyons at slyons97@yahoo.com to get on our schedule. And if you have one of our green yard signs, please put it out!

Welcome Back Vendors!

Many favorite vendors from Markets past have returned for the 2011 Tipp Farmers’ Market season. Here are a few:

• Muddy Truck Patch—Muddy Truck Patch owner Richard Macy is from a long line of farmers. His great-grandfather started an 80-acre produce farm and farmers’ market long ago. He passed that farm down to his son, and he, along with Richard’s father and other relatives, worked it until the land was acquired by the airport. “My father then started his own small truck patch and went into the wholesale business,” said Macy. “When my father retired and I took over, I decided to expand and try my hand at farmers’ markets, while still doing the wholesale supply. Now I do 10 to 12 acres of produce and specialty crops, and usually bring everything from A to Z to the market.”
• Scarff’s—Scarff’s Nursery is a family-owned wholesale nursery located in New Carlisle, known locally and nationally for their gorgeous, healthy plants. Presently growing on approximately 600 acres, they truck everything from evergreen shrubs to shade trees, ornamental trees, and perennials to the market every week. If you stop by, take a minute to thank them for sponsoring the landscaping work at our Veteran’s Memorial over on Hyatt.  Their contribution there often goes unrecognized.
• Snyder’s Spring Run Farm—Providing a large selection of perennials, annuals, baskets, flowers and cut flowers, Spring Run Farm and CSA is a welcome respite for its members and friends. Located just eight miles from the center of Dayton, Ohio and with 58 acres of rolling fields, woods and streams, the farm offers opportunities for building community, celebrations and plenty of fresh air.
• Nashville Farms—Owned and Operated by Jeff and Kim Wheeler, this Troy-based farm boasts fresh-grown vegetables, from peppers and tomatoes to unique varieties of corn.  Sam particularly enjoys their Harvest decorations, including corn shocks, heirloom pumpkins, and hay bales.
• Other returning favorites include BF Berry Farm, Coonskin Sugarbush Ohio Syrup, Ear-Resistables by Anita, Hidden Pond Farms, and Nosnitka’s Fruit Farm.

And a Few New Faces…

And we’ve signed up a whole host of new vendors this year. Some of the newest include:

• Brain Rock – Finally, breakfast at the Market! Matt Wrhel brings a whole booth filled with wholesome fruit salads and fresh-made oatmeal with your choice of toppings, along with fresh-brewed coffee. Yeah!
• All My Heart Photography is run by Sarah Trick.  She offers original photos, matted and ready for framing.
• Harmony Farms brings a variety of western and Asian lettuces to the market, some for salads and some for cooking.
• Consider the Lilies and Creative Designs by Liv offer wreaths, garden décor, stationary and birdhouses.
• Cookie Crazed Mama offers fresh, homemade cookies, scones, muffins, cupcakes, mini pies and bars, and Sisters’ Cookies and Cakes will offer cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and scones.
• Galbi Girls offers handmade girls’ accessories and doll clothes, including jewelry, purses, hair bows, and barrettes designed to fit the “American Girl” dolls. Check out the “cheetah” fur coats!
• Jewelry by Forest sells handmade jewelry created using semi-precious stones twisted with delicate threads of silver.
• And KB Pottery.  Katherine’s been hard at work all winter, throwing a wide selection of clay pots, bowls, coffee mugs, and birdhouses, all beautifully glazed.

More to Come

With the weather outside getting drier and summer quickly approaching, the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market will only get better as more of our vendors harvest their crops and bring them to the Market.  We’re sure to add a few more vendors, here and there, so keep checking back.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page.  And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Tipp Farmers’ Market and Antiques Show!

Posted by Greg on Jun 9, 2011 in Black Bird, Ghost of Blackwood Lane, Marketing, Tipp Talk 2010 | 0 comments

Hey, I’ll be working at the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market this summer on Saturdays.  It’s located at the corner of Third and Main in Tipp City.  Conveniently, it’s also located next to my house, so if you’re looking to pick up a copy of one of my books, chat with me a the Market and I’ll run home and get copies for you.  I’ll even sign them!

Also, coming up on June 25th, I’ll have a booth at the famous Antiques and Artisans show, where I’ll be selling and signing books.  Drop by and get a signed copy of “Black Bird,” “The Ghost of Blackwood Lane,” or “Tipp Talk 2010!”  Get your copies now, before I get all rich and famous and I’m too busy to sign them.  (Uh, that’s wishful thinking!)

25% Off Your Lulu.com Order

Posted by Greg on May 26, 2011 in Black Bird, Ghost of Blackwood Lane, Tipp Talk 2010 | 0 comments

Hey, now you’re out of excuses!  Save 25% off your entire Lulu.com order – buy my books, and maybe pick up a few others as well!  The coupon runs through the end of May, so hurry!

Enter coupon code CYBERMAY305 at checkout and receive 25% off your order. The maximum savings for this coupon is $500. Offer good towards print costs only – shipping and tax amounts are excluded. You can only use the code once per account, and you can’t use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on May 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM so try not to procrastinate! While very unlikely we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so. Transaction must be in US Dollars.

Search this Week’s Gazette and Win a Free Copy of “Tipp Talk 2010”

Posted by Greg on Apr 13, 2011 in Tipp Talk 2010 | 0 comments

My third book, “Tipp Talk 2010,” is out and available for $15.99, so anyone who wants a copy, use the “Contact Me” page to order a copy. You can also buy copies in Tipp City at Benkins Art Gallery and Browse Awhile Books or in Troy at Around About Books. Each copy has been autographed by yours truly.

In conjunction with the Tippecanoe Gazette, we’re giving away FOUR FREE COPIES of the book, one per week, to a lucky reader.  How do you win a copy?  Somewhere in this week’s edition of theGazette is a miniature cover of the book.  Find it, then use the “Contact Me” page to submit your name and where in the paper the cover is located.  Each week, the paper will hide a mini version of the cover, so keep reading and searching!  I’ll collect the winning entries each week and randomly select a winner.  One copy per winner, and employees of the Gazette and their families aren’t eligible.