Photo by Jim Tate Emily Gehrking of Canby, right, sold her jams and jellies at the Russell Bandwagon Days vendor show. She is shown with her daughter, Vivian.

RUSSELL — There were all sorts of activities at the Russell Bandwagon Days over the weekend, and the vendor show at the Community Center drew consistent crowds when it kicked off the Saturday events at 9 a.m.

Emily Gehrking of Canby was one of the vendors in attendance. She’s been selling pints of her jams and jellies for 10 years, with a number of unusual flavors not found elsewhere.

“I’ve got about 20 recipes, and I’ll make them depending on the season and what’s available,” she said.

Her favorite remains the first one she made, Berry Jam.

“It’s my grandmother’s (Maryann Zacharaison) recipe,” she explained. It’s made with strawberries, rhubarb and blueberries.

“I try to offer what’s you can’t find in stores, mentioning her garlic jam which was on display, with tiny containers on the side for tasting. Other examples include jalapeño and watermelon. As the end of the year rolls around, she’ll put up a few batches of her Holiday Blend, which includes strawberries, cranberries and spices.

She has a Cottage Food License from the state, which allows her to make the jams/jellies out of her home and sell them at vendor/craft shows and farmer’s markets.

She’ll typically go through “400-500 jars a year,” she said, and each 8-to-10-jar batch is put in a water bath on her electric stove. Jars became especially hard to come by during COVID, she said.

“I had to go online and to stores I don’t normally go to; also, family and friends helped me get what was needed,” she said.

The price of jars has remained high, also, and what she pays for some ingredients has gone up.

“I used to buy (25 pounds of sugar) for $10. That’s now $20,” she said.

And yes, sometimes she’ll try a flavor “that’s not a big hit,” she said. “One was a pineapple and onion jam, it has balsamic vinegar in it, and didn’t go over,” she said.

Robin Christenson of Tracy was on hand, selling her hand made dish scrubbier and dish rags,

“My grandma taught me to crochet when I was young’ every time I lift a hook I think of her,” she said.

Author Elizabeth Rowan Keith from Russell had a table, too, and was selling some of her books. One, “Becoming Birch,” was a Minnesota Book Award winner. She’s had several books published and other work available online.

Also being sold were too sprays/diffusers, Avon products, Tupperware; decorated and insulated beverage containers, handmade signs, T-shirts, bean bags, and more.

The Grace First Parish women were selling homemade goodies, as well.