Garden Sass Farmers’ Market is open for business
May 13, 2020
John and Peter Littlefield, right, visit with customers at Cassville’s Garden Sass farmers’ market.
Sheila Harris
Albert Wolfe, of Wheaton, says baking bread is a good hobby for old men. He should know. At age 82, Wolfe has been baking homemade bread since he was a young man of about 50.
"I started by making cinnamon rolls,” he said. “I couldn't get anyone else to make them for me, so I decided I’d do it myself. I found a recipe in the old Thomas Hollow cookbook and went to work."
The experience was a positive one, as evidenced by the fact he hasn’t quit since. The only difference, now, is that he packages and labels his baked goods and sets up shop with them at the Garden Sass farmers’ market in Cassville every Saturday during garden season.
“I’ve been participating in Cassville’s farmers’ market almost every week since 1997,” he said. “It’s the only one in the area I sit in on.”
When Wolfe is not at the market on Saturday mornings, he fills much of the remainder of his time baking, in preparation for Saturday. It’s a full-time job, Wolfe says, but one he enjoys.
“It takes most of the week to do enough baking to have enough breads and pastries to bring to the market on Saturdays,” Wolfe said.
Although Wolfe still makes cinnamon rolls, massive in size and individually frosted and packaged, he’s branched out from the signature product which marked his bread-baking debut. His line-up now also includes cookies, sweet breads and pies, baked to order.
Perhaps his most popular items, though, are the beautifully golden, baked-to-perfection loaves of homemade bread.
“I bring about 20 loaves a week to the farmer’s market,” he said, “and usually sell all of them.”
Exeter resident, Sherry Lotufo, attests to his baking skills.
“His white bread is amazing,” she said. “He does everything right; his loaves are consistently the same size and flavor.”
Wolfe said his baking skills have come in handy for church socials and potlucks.
“My wife, Della Faye - who passed in 2004 - always made main course items for church dinners, and I made the dessert,” he said.
In addition to pastries and breads, Wolfe sells farm-fresh, brown eggs gathered from his 300 chickens, almost a full-time job in itself.
“The hens lay 12 dozen eggs a day,” he said.
At the other end of the Garden Sass market on 7th Street, a teenage entrepreneur peddles his wares.
For the past few years, Cassville High School FFA member, Peter Littlefield, has rented space in the school’s greenhouse to grow flowers and plants to sell at the Garden Sass farmers’ market for his SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) project. John Littlefield, the Ag teacher at Cassville Schools, is his supervisor. He’s also his father.
For his project, the younger Littlefield orders and receives a shipment of flower and vegetable plant plugs early in the season.
“I received a shipment of these plant starts about six weeks ago,” he said, pointing to the flourishing plants in front of him. “Then, I repotted them in containers for commercial sale.”
Tables spread with a variety of flowers and vegetable plants, including tomatoes and marigolds, vie for attention with a flatbed trailer with tropical houseplants. Along the street, rows of hanging baskets, containing a dazzling assortment of blossoms and greens, wait to be hung over a front porch or deck.
It’s obvious Littlefield enjoys what he’s doing. And, based on the appearance of his thriving plants, it’s easy to believe his thumbs are green.
"I'll be here every Saturday, all summer," he said. "The types of plants I bring will change with the season, but I'll always have something."
Garden Sass Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday morning on the south side of the square in Cassville. Interested vendors may stop by and chat with Albert Wolfe for information about participating in the market.
According to Sherry Lotufo, the ordinances of many cities make it difficult for farmers’ markets to operate.
“I appreciate Cassville’s welcoming attitude,” she said.
Albert Wolfe, of Wheaton, says baking bread is a good hobby for old men. He should know. At age 82, Wolfe has been baking homemade bread since he was a young man of about 50.
"I started by making cinnamon rolls,” he said. “I couldn't get anyone else to make them for me, so I decided I’d do it myself. I found a recipe in the old Thomas Hollow cookbook and went to work."
The experience was a positive one, as evidenced by the fact he hasn’t quit since. The only difference, now, is that he packages and labels his baked goods and sets up shop with them at the Garden Sass farmers’ market in Cassville every Saturday during garden season.
“I’ve been participating in Cassville’s farmers’ market almost every week since 1997,” he said. “It’s the only one in the area I sit in on.”
When Wolfe is not at the market on Saturday mornings, he fills much of the remainder of his time baking, in preparation for Saturday. It’s a full-time job, Wolfe says, but one he enjoys.
“It takes most of the week to do enough baking to have enough breads and pastries to bring to the market on Saturdays,” Wolfe said.
Although Wolfe still makes cinnamon rolls, massive in size and individually frosted and packaged, he’s branched out from the signature product which marked his bread-baking debut. His line-up now also includes cookies, sweet breads and pies, baked to order.
Perhaps his most popular items, though, are the beautifully golden, baked-to-perfection loaves of homemade bread.
“I bring about 20 loaves a week to the farmer’s market,” he said, “and usually sell all of them.”
Exeter resident, Sherry Lotufo, attests to his baking skills.
“His white bread is amazing,” she said. “He does everything right; his loaves are consistently the same size and flavor.”
Wolfe said his baking skills have come in handy for church socials and potlucks.
“My wife, Della Faye - who passed in 2004 - always made main course items for church dinners, and I made the dessert,” he said.
In addition to pastries and breads, Wolfe sells farm-fresh, brown eggs gathered from his 300 chickens, almost a full-time job in itself.
“The hens lay 12 dozen eggs a day,” he said.
At the other end of the Garden Sass market on 7th Street, a teenage entrepreneur peddles his wares.
For the past few years, Cassville High School FFA member, Peter Littlefield, has rented space in the school’s greenhouse to grow flowers and plants to sell at the Garden Sass farmers’ market for his SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) project. John Littlefield, the Ag teacher at Cassville Schools, is his supervisor. He’s also his father.
For his project, the younger Littlefield orders and receives a shipment of flower and vegetable plant plugs early in the season.
“I received a shipment of these plant starts about six weeks ago,” he said, pointing to the flourishing plants in front of him. “Then, I repotted them in containers for commercial sale.”
Tables spread with a variety of flowers and vegetable plants, including tomatoes and marigolds, vie for attention with a flatbed trailer with tropical houseplants. Along the street, rows of hanging baskets, containing a dazzling assortment of blossoms and greens, wait to be hung over a front porch or deck.
It’s obvious Littlefield enjoys what he’s doing. And, based on the appearance of his thriving plants, it’s easy to believe his thumbs are green.
"I'll be here every Saturday, all summer," he said. "The types of plants I bring will change with the season, but I'll always have something."
Garden Sass Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday morning on the south side of the square in Cassville. Interested vendors may stop by and chat with Albert Wolfe for information about participating in the market.
According to Sherry Lotufo, the ordinances of many cities make it difficult for farmers’ markets to operate.
“I appreciate Cassville’s welcoming attitude,” she said.
David Hudson (left), of Wheaton, narrows down his choice of homemade bread, baked by Albert Wolfe (right), of Wheaton, at Cassville’s Garden Sass farmers’ market.