Outdoor Markets: Pony Express Farmers Market in St. Joseph

So I got up really early last Saturday morning to gulp down a cup of joe and then drive to St. Joseph and see what the Pony Express Farmers Market was all about. The market is held in the parking lot of the East Ridge Mall on Frederick Avenue every Wednesday — which is why I’m posting this today, in case you feel inspired to drive to St. Joe tomorrow morning — and Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

I’m glad I did a computer map search before I hopped in my car, because I’m used to taking the downtown St. Joseph exit on I-29. You have to drive a bit further to get to Exit 47, which lets you off on the Frederick Boulevard exit which somehow becomes Frederick Avenue or vice-versa. All I know is that I kept driving until I found East Ridge Village, which shouldn’t be confused with East Hills Mall, which is just across the street.

Now the Pony Express Farmers Market isn’t as big as some of the outdoor markets in Kansas City: there were only ten vendors last Saturday and that included Ryan Frakes, above, who looks like the Hollywood version of a midwestern farmer and was selling radishes and curly lettuce and iris plants (which were so cheap that I bought five for five bucks) and Debbie Lehmer, who is better known as the Enchilada Lady. She makes the best enchiladas I’ve ever eaten — seriously!