What Do You Know About Farmer's Markets?
This weekend marked the second market of the season at Bidwell. I spoke to Karen Vilonen (Market Administrator) and her husband Rick who operate Ben Brook Farm in North Amherst. They told me that there are some exciting additions to this year's line-up. Starting on May 31st, a different local winery will be invited each week to offer taste-tests as well as sell bottles of wine. At the same time, there will be a guest chef from a local restaurant who will search the market for goods before settling down to prepare a meal while attendees look on. Between the addition of wineries and local chefs, the Bidwell Market will certainly become even more interesting.
Other interesting things to note: Talking Leaves will be adding a booth dedicated to books about flowers, produce, markets, etc. There are five new vendors this year, including a bread guy, a sausage stand, and a meat stand. Dan Leonard of the Elmwood Village Association told me that the people who come to the market have come to depend on it for a weekly shopping resource. Thanks to people like Karen And Rick, the market continues to evolve and keep people coming back... even in the rain.
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buffalostan
What kind of a market doesnt have things like bananas and lemons. I cant do shopping there.
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sbrof
The market isn't about being a place to do all your shopping together (wegmans and tops will always fill those roles) but as a place to get a larger access to a variety of local products and foods. I don't mind that I can't buy bananas or lemons there because you can get them everywhere else. But here is a place where you know everything you buy is helping to support our local farmers and economy. Something often not available in other stores.
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knock_knock
They only sell locally grown bananas and lemons.
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leadi
knock-knock - that is really FUNNY!
I remember seeing a post a while back that this particular Farmer's Market does not allow the farmers to bring in eggs from their farms. Does anyone know why that is? I would really like to get my eggs from the people who had them at the Winter Farmer's Market in the church at Lafayette - they were great.
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lauras
I had to give up trying to make everyone happy at once. It was driving my co-workers mad. Anyway, thanks for this article. Quite timely - can't wait for the market.
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ChristaSeychew
leadi,
Bidwell Market has rules in place stating that farmers can only sell what they produce. At the Wintermarket that is not necessarily the case. For example, at the Wintermarket, Patrick (of White Cow Dairy) can sell eggs raised on a farm that belongs to his neighbors, but he can't sell those same eggs at the Bidwell Market because he doesn't raise the chickens himself. Blossom Hill does sell their eggs at the market, but it is through their Adopt-A-Chicken program, so you have to commit to buying eggs for the entire summer. BTW, all of their chickens for this season have already been adopted.
It is tough to see how this rule can be applied to some of the vendors (i.e. farmers) and not to the 'value added' sellers (i.e. tea, baked goods, etc.).
Every farmers market has its own set of rules, and I am glad that, according to this story, the Elmwood-Bidwell market is working to avoid the flea market feel that some area farmers markets have. For more info about the rules at Elmwood-Bidwell you'd have to contact someone at the market.
I hope that answers your question. Happy Eating! Christa
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