Gildaloy Farms owner Hannah Gilchrist-Loy smiles while holding her son Calvin at the Traer Farmers Market on Saturday, June 7. Gilchrist-Loy and her husband Jake (not pictured) are first-time farmers market vendors this season, selling fresh-cut flowers and farm fresh eggs from their rural Traer acreage. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

TRAER – After more than a dozen-year absence, the Traer Farmers Market rebloomed in the Hometown Foods parking lot on Saturday, June 7, with four dedicated vendors and an eager, local group of supporters.

“The market has nothing to do with Hometown Foods. We are merely just here to give them a space,” store manager Meghan Renslow explained while standing in the grocery store’s parking lot just after the 9 a.m. kickoff. Renslow said she worked to bring back the local market to build community and goodwill. The market was previously held in the Farmers Savings Bank & Trust parking lot east of Hwy 63. According to past reporting by the Traer Star-Clipper, the market was first established in the late 1980s.

Saturday’s market was a first experience for at least two vendors, including former UNI Botanical Center Horticulturist Hannah Gilchrist-Loy. Alongside her husband Jake and baby son Calvin, she sold fresh-cut flowers and colorful chicken eggs from their rural Traer acreage, Gildaloy Farms.

“This is our first try for a market, but I’ve been a horticulturist for 10 years,” Gilchrist-Loy said as she balanced Calvin on her hip behind a gorgeous array of flower arrangements. “We thought, ‘Let’s see what we’ve got.’ This is all just from our garden.”

Gilchrist-Loy’s stunning bouquets appeared both expertly arranged and hand-gathered. All of the arrangements featured a charming mix of in-season farm flowers, including peonies in multiple shades of pink – and nary an ant in sight on any of the blooms.

Gretchen Pargeon, right, pays Traer Farmers Market vendor Hannah Gilchrist-Loy for a fresh-cut flower arrangement on Saturday, June 7, in the Hometown Foods parking lot. The local market was restarted this season following a more than a dozen-year absence from the community. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I pop them in the fridge for 24 hours,” Gilchrist-Loy explained. “Then just shake the ants out of the blooms.”

Across the lot from Gildaloy Farms, Laura Taylor, with help from her husband Chad, was also in attendance as a first-time vendor, selling muffins, cookies, breads, and other baked treats as Laura’s Artisan Treats.

“I have been making muffins for over 10 years,” Taylor said, but this is my first time ever [as a vendor]. I’m putting myself out there.”

Taylor’s blueberry muffin recipe – featuring a scrumptious-looking crumb topping – won a blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair in 2021, she said. Her small bags of mini monster cookies were also a popular item on Saturday, especially among the market’s youngest customers. By noon, Taylor had completely sold out of her inventory.

Seven vendors total registered with Renslow for the 2025 market season, including George Harford with the new, local Backyard Vines Winery and Faith Palumbo with Say Yay Crochet; both in attendance on Saturday. Renslow said the remaining three vendors – Amber Monat (produce and baked goods), Allison Blocker (produce, crafts, and baked goods), and Michael Slick (plants and produce) – will be present at future markets.

Vendors Laura and Chad Taylor with Laura’s Artisan Treats pause for a quick photo Saturday morning. By noon, all of their baked goods had sold out. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The Traer Farmers Market is open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 4, 2025. The market is located at 420 Second Street (Hometown Foods parking lot) in downtown Traer. As of press time, at least one of the market’s vendors (Allison Blocker) is authorized to accept Iowa Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers.

For more information, refer to the Traer Farmers’ Market Facebook page or email traerfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

See you at the market!

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Vendors including George Harford with Backyard Vines Winery (left) and Laura Taylor with Laura’s Artisan Treats (right) chat with customers last Saturday during the Traer Farmers Market’s opening day. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER