It’s quilts and a cow day at the Maple Valley Farmers Market Saturday, July 10.

Visitors to the market will be able to wrap themselves in the sights of beautifully crafted quilts, the radiant colors of ripe summer produce and the crafts and creations of local artists.

The market welcomes the Covington Quilt Guild who will be selling raffle tickets for their 2010 raffle quilt, and showcasing their handmade quilts.

Other vendors on Saturday include two youth entrepreneurs. Kelin Doner returns for the second time this season to sell hand-crafted jewelry, and first-time market vendor Bailey Pricco will sell her nature and landscape photos from the Cedar River and Maple Valley area. Pricco, a Tahoma High senior, has been taking photographs for 2-3 years, but this is her first venture into sales.

As a service to the youth in our community, the market offers booth space, up to two stalls per market season, to young entrepreneurs who attend school within the Tahoma School District boundaries, subject to availability and approval by the market manager. Use of the booths provides the young entrepreneur with an avenue to sell his or her hand-made items utilizing materials made in the state and appropriate for the market environment. This allows young adults to feature their products, boost their sales, gain valuable business experience and enjoy the market.

Music will once again surround market shoppers as Phil Hansen’s band, Stillwater Hill, performs progressive bluegrass from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The band, which has been together eight months, features Phil Hansen, vocal and guitar, Mark Oslund, fiddle, Rich White, mandolin, Brian Saulsman, banjo and Sparky Neihaus, bass. The band’s website is www.stillwaterhill.com.

A special highlight of the day will be the announcement of the winner of the Maple Valley Farmers Market Cow Mascot Naming Contest Winner. The winner will earn $25 in market bucks, and the bovine market mascot will no longer be nameless.

Not to be forgotten, of course, is the most important part of the market, more than 40 vendors who sell fresh, local produce, cheese meat, breads and pastries, prepared foods, lavender products, organic tea fertilizer, fresh flowers, plants, marinated asparagus and green beans, hot sauce and many more items.

Farmers markets in King County have grown proportionally, from nine in 1999 to 39 in 2009, according to the “Farmers Market Report” published by King County in February 2010. The Maple Valley market’s mission aligns with the mission discussed in this publication, to provide “support for local farmers, bringing fresh, healthy food into their community, providing an opportunity for small businesses to sell their goods, and creating a lively, family-friendly community activity.” In addition, the report sites the importance of providing fresh and nutritious food; bringing pride to the community, and playing an important economic role in the community.

Whether one’s goal is to view the quilts, enter the Name the Cow contest, listen to the music, enjoy a great breakfast or lunch, shop for weekly produce needs or gifts, listen to live music, or just to visit with friends and neighbors, the Maple Valley Farmers Market’s motto is the “Saturday morning place to be.”