'AWESOME' SEASON FOR VENDORS

Shoppers have one more Wednesday to peruse the produce, baked goods and crafts at the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce's Farm, Craft & Antique Market.

The market, which runs from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Washington Street, will finish its 32nd year this week.

"I think it was the best we've ever had," market manager Katherine M. Plante said. "We increased the number of vendors and we increased the number of people attending the market."

This was Emily M. Widrick's second year peddling her jewelry at the market.

"Business was good," she said. "This year was an awesome year for weather."

Ms. Widrick, Carthage, is a third-generation silversmith and sells her work under the name Silver Streams Jewelry.

"I make everything myself," she said. "I do see a lot of people come back. The more people see you around, the more they trust you."

She expects to return next year.

The summer's cool weather and economy created problems for produce and flower grower John J. Lichtenberger, owner of J.J. Gardens, Evans Mills.

"The weather is always a problem," he said. "And with the economy, a lot of people don't have money right now."

Mr. Lichtenberger lost all of his 2,000 tomato plants to late blight, a fungal infection. He's grown a wide varieties of vegetables for the downtown Watertown market since 1982. He said there was more competition at both the Wednesday and Saturday market at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds this year.

"The weather made everything late," he said. "We did pretty good on flowers."

For Donnalee K. Dodson, this was her first summer at the market selling wine for Thousand Islands Winery, Alexandria Bay.

"I had regular customers and I loved my spot," she said. "This is one market I would never give up."

The end of the downtown farmers market does not mean an end to the market season in Jefferson County. Several farmers markets, including the Saturday market at the fairgrounds, continue through the end of the month and the Fall Farm and Craft Market in the Paddock Arcade begins Oct. 14.

The chamber's market supported three new bakers and three new food vendors this year, Mrs. Plante said.

"These are all positive things, but nothing's ever perfect," she said. "We've already got some ideas to work on for next year to make it bigger and better."