06/21/2026
I’ve developed some strong opinions about the local farmers market culture. One of these days I’ll sit down and extrapolate upon them in an email you didn’t ask for 😅
But today, I’m happy to share that my pilot light of faith for great open-air markets in the lake area has been given a restorative spark.
Thank you, Osage Beach Farmers Market, it’s really nice to see a busy market that is growing steadily each season. It’s great to see smiling faces and market bags spilling with flowers. It’s nice to know that the vendors I’ve learned to lean on, are back each season, plus a few new neighbors on either side. Plus I got to hug this premie baby lamb 🥹🥹🥹
As a chef, that kind of consistency allows me to somewhat predict what might end up on seasonal menus before I can actually shop the market. And that makes it much more feasible to continue supporting local agriculture through cheffing. (Baby lamb hugs also make it easier.)
My team is so excited to be bringing back Farm-to-Table Fridays at The Sanctuary Brewery this season — and I’ve decided to give our loyalty to the OSB market for the menu sourcing. I’d like to put my energy into a place that is already building energy, so we can collectively see a thriving market scene continue to develop in our community.
Another fun update to the FTTF formatting?
We’re taking this experience out of the private realm of ticketed dinners — with multiple courses and pairings — and into an accessible but elevated menu that will be publicly available every Friday through our partnership with The Sanctuary.
While we adore a fussy dinner party as much as the next girls, a trend we’re experiencing early this summer (maybe you’ve noticed it, too…) is that people are much more budget conscious than in past seasons. Life (and food) is expensive right now, and big-fancy-fussy dinners are first on the chopping block when people are deciding how to spend their money and their time at the lake.
So, we’ll be taking our favorite courses from last season’s five part private series and adapting them to be served upstairs at the brewery every Friday. Thus making the experience of eating the freshest, most local ingredients, easy, affordable, and deliciously paired with Sanctuary brews.
We’re in development mode, but keep an eye out here for menu drops soon!
