FOOD \ farmers’ markets
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With fresh ingredients on consumers’ minds, local farmers’ markets continue to grow in numbers and popularity.
BY EMILY HAYDEN | PHOTOS BY DAN DRY
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ne of the few things that get me out of bed on Saturday mornings is knowing there are several
farmers’ markets where I can go to buy freshly picked local fruits and vegetables I crave, while maybe discovering something new I haven’t tried before and getting advice on how to prepare it. But it’s equally motivating to know I’ll get to schmooze with neighbors while getting a cooked-to-order omelet, bowl of grits or biscuit-and-egg sandwich I can eat while shopping. The number of farmers’ markets in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area has grown to nearly forty in recent years. (At the end of this story, we list all those markets, their locations, times of operation and when you can expect local fruits and vegetables to be in season.) I can drive to the Jeffersontown farmers’ market and get honey from a kind gentleman who occasionally brings chirping chicks in a little cage. Or I can make the 10-minute drive to the Bardstown Road market to grab some homemade soap, berries in season, or chicken, pork or lamb. Most protein is usually sold frozen, but farmers also bring freshly processed chickens every now and then.
14 Summer 2017 www.foodanddine.com
With so many markets open, I struggle to pick a favorite. There are a few big markets with dozens of vendors, such as the sprawling one at Beargrass Christian Church on Shelbyville Road and Browns Lane, the tree-shaded one at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church on Bardstown Road, or the market in downtown New Albany on Market Street. Some sport extensive awnings over display tables where craft vendors sell soaps, jewelry and other handmade items, alongside farmers selling seasonal produce, eggs and meat. These larger markets also attract food trucks, booths cooking breakfast and lunch items, and bakers of bread, muffins and cookies. The atmosphere is more casual at any of several smaller neighborhood markets, such as in Phoenix Hill, Beechmont, Crescent Hill or at the Temple on Lime Kiln Lane. These are true “tailgate markets,” where most farmers sell what they picked the night before from the backs of their trucks. The explosion of farmers’ markets fits in well with the “Keep Louisville Weird” campaign that
promotes small businesses. By purchasing food at a farmers’ market, you buy truly local and fresh food. Vendors at local markets are required to sell only what they grow or raise, though some bring items from neighboring farmers who can’t make the trip themselves. By connecting with your community at a farmers’ market, you learn more about how small farmers grow their crops and the challenges they face in bringing them to market. Prices typically exceed the cost of edibles at supermarkets, but the quality is typically superior to supermarkets. Farmers are most always happy to discuss how their prices reflect the cost of producing high-quality food. It gives them a chance to tell their stories firsthand. Whether you stick to the same farmers’ market each time or try a new one every weekend, you are sure to have an enjoyable time. How often can you say that about grocery shopping? The only way you could go wrong is to not go at all. Check the following chart to see which markets are close to you and which could be worth a little travel just to try something new.