7 minute read
FARMERS' MARKET FEATURE
BY CHRISTINE NESSLER
When visiting the North Mankato Farmers’ Market, customers find a variety of vendors from Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. The market hosts an average of 15 to 20 vendors each week selling various self-sustained products including produce, farm-fresh eggs and meat, flowers, baked goods, canned goods, crafts, art and more.
Products sold vary based on the season: shopping the market for flowers in June and wrapping up the market season with pumpkins in October. In addition to an ever-changing array of products and produce, shopping at the North Mankato Farmers’ Market gives customers the opportunity to get to know their local producers and to support small businesses. One of these producers and small businesses is Leuer Gardens. Hilary Leuer, owner of Leuer Gardens, is a life-time resident of North Mankato. She recently took a personal interest in growing her own food and found farmers’ markets as the perfect platform to share her produce with others. Leuer and her husband Bob had been looking for a farm to rent for years before coming across the current home of Leuer Gardens in rural North Mankato. The land was already set up as a vegetable farm and was just what they had envisioned for their family. “The major goal of the farm was to raise our family in this lifestyle; where we can have a hands-on approach to showing the kids where their food comes from and how livestock is raised,” Leuer said. “It doesn’t come from the grocery store. It comes from the ground or is raised off what the earth produces.” Being able to share their fresh produce with others quickly became another added benefit of life on the Leuer Gardens farm. “We can provide different varieties of produce that aren’t seen at the grocery store,” Leuer said. “The goal of grocery store produce is to be able to ship well and last a long time. Whereas with the produce we grow, our goal is flavor. It doesn’t necessarily travel well, but it tastes so much better.” Customers can pick up products at Leuer Gardens, four miles outside of North Mankato, but Leuer needed a way to get her healthy foods and fresh cut flowers out to the public. As a new business owner, cost was a factor in her distribution. At the North Mankato Farmers’ Market, vendors can attend for free. “We are really excited that we are able to provide our vendors an outlet to sell their items at no cost to them,” said Anna Brown, Public Information Officer for the City of
Hilary Leuer finds the perfect place to share her wares.
North Mankato and member of the team charged with organizing, planning, and running the North Mankato Farmers’ Market. “It’s purely profit to them. We think that’s a great benefit to vendors.” Allowing vendors to attend for free has opened the door to young businesses like Leuer Gardens, now in its second year of attendance at the market. “The aspect of it being free is nice because you don’t have the added pressure of selling enough product to cover the cost of the day, plus make an income,” said Leuer. For the past six years, the North Mankato Farmers’ Market has been known as “Your Neighborhood Market.” More than just a slogan, organizers have expanded the Monday afternoon event to create a festive atmosphere for both vendors and shoppers. What started out as a passion project of North Mankato resident Kim Henrickson in 2016, the North Mankato Farmers’ Market changed hands in 2020 and developed into a partnership between the City of North Mankato and South Central College (SCC). Now hosted at SCC at 1920 Lee Boulevard in North Mankato, the North Mankato Farmers’ Market is open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Mondays from June to October each year. “South Central College, SCC North Mankato Campus Foundation, and the City of North Mankato have worked together for the last three seasons to facilitate and grow the North Mankato Farmers’ Market,” said Erin Aanenson, South Central College Foundation Executive Director. “SCC is happy to provide a safe, convenient location for local vendors to share their fresh and unique wares with community members.” Customers of the Farmers’ Market are not only enjoying fresh produce and unique hand-made products, but they are also supporting local small businesses. “It’s an opportunity to shop locally and support small businesses in their community,” Brown said. “Some of the vendors are their neighbors and friends.” “If the community is shopping locally, they are supporting the vendors and they are enhancing where they live,” Leuer said. “Leuer Gardens is supporting our community as well by providing them local produce that isn’t shipped across the country.” According to Leuer, market prep for Leuer Gardens is driven by what is in season. In the early season, Leuer will harvest two to three times a day to ensure her flowers are harvested at the correct stage to provide the client with the longest vase life. Later in the summer, sweet corn is harvested by hand at 4:30 a.m. and sold the same day. Based on season, the crops are harvested as close to market time as possible and kept cool so the customer can have the best quality Leuer Gardens can provide. When shopping directly, customers and vendors also have the unique opportunity to get to know each other. The direct customer sales provided at the farmers’ markets allows a personal relationship with customers as well as insight into what items the Leuer Gardens will provide at future markets. Leuer enjoys the interaction with the customers and encourages suggestions for products to grow or things customers would like to see. “We do put a lot of time into researching the varieties that we’re offering because we are interested in providing produce that the customer is happy with and maybe has never tried before,” Leuer said. Their goal is to provide fresh and flavorful food. A few of the fan favorites are their tomatoes, sweet corn, and their varieties of popcorn. Coming soon to market - sweet potatoes. Best of all, the North Mankato Farmers’ Market provides vendors like Leuer Gardens and shoppers with a sense of community. “I really liked that the North Mankato market had lots of extra events in addition to the vendors that are there,” Leuer said. “It makes it more of a fun, family atmosphere for people to go to. It has a neighborhood feel.” “Our farmers’ market is one-of-a-kind,” Aanenson said. “We have transformed the North Mankato Farmers’ Market into a community event by incorporating games, musical performances, food trucks, and more.”
Pack Your Bags!
Let us help you plan your next vacation for the whole family! Disney, beach, winter ski trip, anniversaries, destination weddings, and honeymoons - we plan that dream trip for all occasions! Call Amber Pietan Travel Agency and start packing. 504
