Immanuel Lutheran Church holds farmers market

By DAVID J. HARDIN

Cove Leader-Press 

Immanuel Lutheran Church held its fourth Farmers Market on Sunday, offering homegrown vegetables and produce, along with homemade products and leatherwork. Despite the hot sunny afternoon, several came out to check out the market.

The church’s youth group helped sell items that were donated, like bread, vegetables, and farm fresh eggs. 

Youth group members David Pomeroy Jr. and Calvin Pomeroy both attend Copperas Cove High School and were happy to help with the market. Both were instrumental in starting the church’s youth group back in February of this year, according to Pomeroy.  

Gary Glick is the head elder and sponsor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church youth group.  

Glick said there was a great need for a youth group, because in the past there was not much participation, but currently there are eight members and they are hoping to get more members by the end of the summer. 

“The kids also made garden boxes that are for sale for people who want to have a small garden,” Glick added.

Sieglinde Sweat with Sigi’s Custom Leathers was at the market on Sunday. She makes holsters, wallets, phone cases, and belts. She has had the business for about a year, and said she went to a renaissance fair and fell in love with the outfits. 

“I started making my own outfits for the fair, and I created my outfits based on the fact that I was a Celtic warrior princess with leather armor.”

Curtis Holman has been a farmer since he retired from the Army in 1989. 

He loves to grow various kinds of vegetables on his two acres of land.  

“I love all vegetables the same, and the easiest thing to grow in this heat is okra, because it is known as a hot weather plant.” He is supported by his wife, Heide, and both also sell their vegetables at the Copperas Cove Farmers Market which is held each Thursday at City Park. 

Big poster boards of pictures of butterflies surrounded one of the tables at the farmers market. 

Ilse Meier is head of the Copperas Cove chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting our state’s native plant heritage and preserves it for future generations. They promote research and look for ways to preserve and protect habitats to make sure that native plants are there so that birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife have food. Meier was there on Sunday to get the word out. 

“I have been a native plant person since the 90s,” said Meier. She said the Native Plant Society of Texas has a contract with the Texas Department of Transportation to create butterfly and pollinator gardens at the Bell County rest area near Salado and the Hill County rest area. “It is very beautiful. I was just there yesterday for five hours weeding, and with that the garden has attracted bumblebees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. The garden is made up mostly of milkweeds and nectar plants which provides food for all of these living things.”

The farmers market did not have as many people as it did last year, but that was due to the hot temperatures and the fact that Sunday was Father’s Day. 

The next big event for the Immanuel Lutheran Church will be the installation of a new pastor. Pastor Tobin Scott will be introduced to the congregation on Sunday July 9, at 3 p.m. He is replacing Pastor Wilburn Maichalk, who has been serving as the interim pastor for almost two years.