It’s a Long, Long While from May to December
The farmers market force is strong with local food lovers. So when Green City Market opened its indoor market for the season on Saturday (December 2), neither distance (the indoor market in Avondale is about 4-1/2 miles from Green City’s flagship outdoor market in Lincoln Park), nor a chilly, cloudy day, and not even a brief power outage could keep these shoppers from that beautiful local food with all the flavors of fall.
The strong attendance was no surprise. Last year was Green City’s first at the 3031 N. Rockwell St. location, and was held only on alternate Saturdays from January through March. But the big turnouts for each market persuaded the managers to hold the market weekly this year (apart from a two-week holiday break at the end of December).
This in turn persuaded several outdoor market standbys who passed on last year’s indoor market to join the party this year.
I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends on both sides of the vendor tables. Elsa Jacobson (blue cap) — whose summer Saturdays are spent managing The Lincoln Park Farmers Market about a mile west of Green City’s big location — was there in another role as salesperson for Phoenix Bean Tofu.
Not surprisingly, my early December market haul was weighted toward root vegetables and other storage crops. From left in the front row, all from Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois): rainbow carrots, brussels sprouts, Empire apples, Red Norland potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions. Behind are a tofu salad and tofu dip from Phoenix Bean; eggs and chicken thighs from Finn’s Ranch (Buchanan, Michigan); cremini mushrooms from River Valley Ranch (Burlington, Wisconsin); kale from Wholesome Harvest (Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin); and apple cider and cranberries purchased from Ellis Family Farms (Benton Harbor, Michigan).
This Weekend’s Illinois Indoor Market Schedule
The Illinois Farmers Market Association has a winter market schedule that has more detail. Click here to check it out.