Let the farmers market season begin
The return of Market Report: A preview, counting down to opening day in downtown Lafayette on Saturday, May 2.
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Look who’s back …
By Carol Bangert / For Based in Lafayette
I started counting down the days until May right after the first measurable snowfall in November. Ah, May. May means spring is on the way — and it signals the opening of area farmers markets.
Here in Tippecanoe County, we are blessed with three quality markets: in downtown Lafayette, in West Lafayette and on the Purdue campus. Each has its own vibe and spirit, but the assignment has been the same since the first market set up shop in downtown Lafayette almost 190 years ago: Create a gathering place for local farmers and artisans to showcase and sell their produce, meats and crafts.
If you have visions of filling your eco-friendly shopping bags with summer’s best produce, slow your roll. While a fresh baked cinnamon roll is always in season at the market, ripe heirloom tomatoes and slender green beans are not. But don’t worry. As with last season’s Market Report, I’ll get you dialed in to what’s in season at Greater Lafayette’s farmers markets – from tart rhubarb and jewel-toned radishes to snappy sweet corn, ethereal Vincennes melons and earthy winter squash.
Along the way, I’ll ask market vendors to share tips on how to use seasonal produce, including recipes and food pairings. Also, I’ll be checking out unique fruits, veg and other surprises that might add some zing to your menu planning. So, grab your reusable tote bags, and let’s start shopping.
If you’re a regular visitor to Lafayette’s farmers market, you’ll notice that the expanded footprint has returned, along with longtime vendors and some new faces. Shelby White, public relations and communications manager at Greater Lafayette Commerce, says there will be a record 120 vendors, 33 of them new. The footprint will be on Fifth Street between Columbia and mid-block to Ferry Street and Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets.
I’ve pondered how to approach Market Report this year – after all, Nature sets a pretty consistent schedule when it comes to in-season produce, and there may not be a lot of new ground to plow. But I’m taking my cue from poet Mary Oliver, who’s instructions for living a life are: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” I’m confident our farmers markets will not disappoint, and I look forward to sharing my discoveries with you.
Days and hours
Lafayette Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, May through October. Opening day is Saturday, May 2.
West Lafayette Farmers Market: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, May through October. The market is held at Cumberland Park in West Lafayette with more than 50 vendors.
Purdue Farmers Market: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, May through October. The Purdue farmers market is held on the Memorial Mall on Purdue’s campus. This market is a concession-heavy market that allows students, faculty and staff to have lunch options in a unique outdoor setting.
Carol Bangert, editor of Greater Lafayette Magazine, has been a regular at Greater Lafayette farmers markets for more than 20 years. From May through October, she’ll scout out in-season produce at the markets and report back on fresh finds and how to use them.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.