Market Report: Ramping up for the 2026 season
With West Lafayette Farmers Market opening Wednesday, some observations – and mammoth finds – from the first market of the year in downtown Lafayette.
Support for this edition comes from Discover Oxford, presenting Seeds and Sunflowers. Seeds and Sunflowers is the inaugural benefit dinner coming up on May 16, supporting the revitalization efforts of Discover Oxford. Learn more about the event and Discover Oxford at bit.ly/SeedsAndSunflowers26
With West Lafayette’s version opening Wednesday, the farmers markets are in season …
Ramping up for the 2026 season
By Carol Bangert/For Based in Lafayette
A brisk north wind added a nice touch as I made my way into the farmers market in downtown Lafayette. “Sweeet,” I thought as I zipped my jacket up to my chin. To be honest, the cold snap over the last few days left me pessimistic about the first market of the season. What kind of produce would I see, and what would the crowds be like?
Short answer: An abundance of offerings from area farms, and crowds that rivaled anything I’d see on a mid-June market day. In other words, all was right with the world.
In-season produce was beautifully displayed in booths tucked between food vendors, crafts and vibrant arrangements of flowers, hanging baskets and perennials. The produce selection was promising in both variety and quality. In this first Market Report, I’m going to contain myself and focus on just a few opening day stars.
Let’s start with wheat grass. First, it’s beautiful, and if you did nothing with it in the kitchen, it still would make a lovely addition to your windowsill. The clump of spikey, bright green leaves is a piece of art in and of itself. Chad Scott of Bear Fruit Farm says the plant is most often juiced for wheatgrass shots (the kind you drink, not the needle variety). The plant is chockful of vitamins and minerals and is celebrated as a superfood.
Around the corner at Fairstream Farms, owner Daniel Fagerstrom displayed a dozen or so early spring offerings, but the ramps caught my eye. The plants – with purple stems and olive green leaves – have a limited run each spring, and Fagerstrom says he may not have many after next week. The plants are considered a leek, have a distinct onion/garlic taste and can be used in any dish calling for onions. The entire plant is edible, and I used the bunch I purchased as a topping for polenta, sliced and sauteed along with mushrooms and topped with parmesan. My little homage to spring.
Across Fifth Street at Wabash & Riley Honey Co. I encountered walking onions – no, they weren’t actually ambulatory, but that would be pretty cool. They resemble spring onions I see at other booths – verdant and inviting. But I was curious about the name, so I asked the young man working the booth about it. He didn’t have an answer for me, but a quick web search explained that the onions spread by producing small bulbs at the top of the stalk; the stalks bend over from the weight and the bulb takes root, appearing to walk across the ground. How cool is that? I had to try them, if for no other reason than I applaud their can-do attitude.
The north winds pushed me to the south end of the market, where I stopped at Bloomers Greenhouse. A lovely display of spring herbs invites visitors to pause and consider the possibilities. I’ve grown herbs for decades and love to experiment with new plants – by the way, herbs are a fun, inexpensive way to introduce your fingers to garden dirt. I asked Kaitlyn Calbaugh of Bloomers to point out the most unique herb they offer. Without hesitation she picked up a pot of mammoth basil. She explained that the leaves grow to an impressive size, and that the leaves can be used like lettuce in a wrap (that big). I was sold, and my mammoth basil now occupies a sunny spot on my deck.
Finally, fungi. At Mr. Woody’s Mushrooms, James Mundell proudly displayed boxes of maitake, commonly known as hen of the woods because of their appearance. (I guess if you squint, the clusters could look like hens in the woods.) Mundell says, “These took me five years to grow. The temperature is really picky, and they’ve been finicky.” Then he got all science-y on me and started describing temperature conditions and substrate. Bottom line: Even though he’s cracked the maitake code, Mundell says availability will be hit or miss, so get them while you can. His go-to preparation: slice the mushrooms, then sauté or lightly batter and pan fry.
A final note: I picked up the most beautiful little box of ruby-ripe strawberries at the Beck Farms stall. The strawberries were grown in a greenhouse, but several growers remarked that the crop is a few weeks early this year, so get ready to grab one of spring’s most iconic and ethereal gifts.
Other early-May produce at the market includes:
Asparagus
Red and green onions
Radishes
Greens (kale, mustard, arugula, lettuce varieties)
Lots of herbs ready to pot or place in your garden (I spotted mint, oregano, basil, cilantro, sage, lavender, thyme and more)
Rhubarb
DAYS/HOURS FOR THE MARKETS
West Lafayette Farmers Market: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, through October. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the West Lafayette market. The market is held at Cumberland Park in West Lafayette with more than 50 vendors.
Lafayette Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, through October, on Fifth Street between Columbia Street and mid-block to Ferry Street, and Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets.
Purdue Farmers Market: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, 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.
Thanks, again, for support for this edition from Discover Oxford, presenting Seeds and Sunflowers on May 16. Learn more about the event and Discover Oxford at bit.ly/SeedsAndSunflowers26
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Vote Swiss Chard in the general election! Also, part of the fun of Market Report are the photos.
My black raspberries are "walking" berries for sure. They are trying to take over the whole back yard!