Pre-washed Produce?
My thoughts are with the markets, vendors and stalwart shoppers who have had to deal with this mess. Heaven knows we need the rain. Did we need to get it all at once, on a market Sunday morning? No… but we don’t get to choose.
I think maybe this guy has had enough of the week’s crazy atmospheric conditions.
Nature’s Amazing Healing Powers
The Saturday markets mostly dodged the threat of rain, fortunately. I visited Green City Market’s Lincoln Park location, and paid a visit to my friend Jerry Boone at the stand of his Froggy Meadow Farm (Beloit, Wisconsin).
As I’ve documented, Jerry within just a couple of weeks went from facing the loss of an entire year of crops because of a drought-related water crisis on his farm to having water flowing to his fields from a new and much deeper well — thanks to a GoFundMe campaign, launched by leading chefs to whom Jerry sells his beautiful produce, which exceeded its goal of $40,000.
It was gratifying to see fresh crops filling up the tables that had been almost bare up to now. Jerry told me that he’d given up on those sugar snap peas, only to see them spring back to life, and that those SunGold tomatoes (which I love and bought a pint) almost immediately started popping.
Nature has remarkable healing powers. Sometimes she just needs a little help.
The usual Saturday throngs at Green City were greatly reduced. It was probably a combination of the threatening weather, the fact that a number of regular customers were probably traveling for the holiday weekend, and perhaps even more people than usual bailed out of town to avoid the anticipated traffic chaos from street closures for that NASCAR street race (and talk about bad luck with the weather).
That also meant shorter than usual lines to pick out my goodies, which included my first local blueberries, Rainier cherries, and early peaches of the season. Here’s the haul…
Pretty substantial, befitting the season. From the right, blueberries, raspberries and Rainier cherries from Mick Klug Farm (St. Joseph, Michigan); early carrots (with the greens), Italian parsley, English peas and heirloom tomatoes from Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois); Korean turnips and SunGold tomatoes from Froggy Meadow Farm; peaches and sweet red cherry tomatoes from Iron Creek Farm (La Porte, Indiana); traditional bratwurst, beer and scallion bratwurst and ground beef from Finn’s Ranch (Buchanan, Michigan); and sauerkraut from Bushel and Peck’s (Beloit, Wisconsin).
This Week’s Regional Farmers Market Schedule
A reminder that Tuesday is Independence Day, and most markets usually open on Tuesdays are not open this week. Please check with your local market before you head out.
Monday, July 3
Edgewater Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 5917 N. Broadway, Chicago
Hinsdale Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 E. Chicago Ave.
Tuesday, July 4
Most Tuesday farmers markets are closed for the July 4th holiday. Check with your local market before you go.