Farmer's Market produces more than fresh produce

IU students and Bloomington residents have the upper hand in the battle to maintain a healthy diet, thanks to the Bloomington Farmers' Market, offering an array of fresh fruits and vegetables grown by Hoosier farmers. Community members can stock up on cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and a plethora of palatable treats from 7 a.m. to noon every Saturday from now until September at the Showers Plaza in downtown Bloomington, 401 N. Morton St..\nLeslie Kaiser, Community Events Coordinator for the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said the Farmers' Market also offers fresh and organic meats, cheeses, flowers and prepared foods like egg sandwiches and tamales. There are also tables piled full of fresh greens and other colorful produce-minded goodies.\n"The purpose of the Bloomington Farmers' Market is providing a place for residents and visitors to come together in a festive atmosphere to buy local produce from the farmers and gardeners who produce it," said Kaiser, reading from the market's mission statement. "It provides an opportunity for the community to get fresh produce typically picked that day or the day before and it invites local farmers and gardeners to get their stuff out to the community as well. The Farmers' Market provides a great atmosphere to be at even if someone isn't shopping for specific things because it is a great place to meet friends and listen to music."\nCommunity members attending the market tomorrow will be swooned by the musical beats of the Bloomington Brass Band from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. and the toe-stomping rhythm of the Bloomington Quarry Morris Dancers from 10 to 11:30 a.m. \nThe Farmers Market first opened July 26, 1975 and city officials estimated between 2,000 and 5,000 community members wander the aisles each Saturday. Kaiser recommends market attendees bring a picnic basket and a bag to bring fresh fruits and vegetables home.\nVictoria Getty is a nutrition instructor, and director of the applied health sciences dietetics program at IU.\nGetty said the per-meal cost of adding a plentiful heaping of fruits and vegetables to a person's diet is cheaper in the long run than a cheeseburger and accompanying french fries.\n"If the only food you know is bought in a grocery store it can't be that fresh by the time they get it there, then you don't know how good food can taste," Getty said. "If you go to the Farmers' Market you are supporting your local community as opposed to a national chain. By buying organic and buying local you are actually protecting the environment and you may be getting some nutritional advantage." \nNational grocery store chains often ship produce and other goods across the country, and the transit time of fruits and vegetables often results in loss of freshness.\nGetty said the student dietary preference for fast food, pizza, potato chips and soda pop often depletes their bodies of vitamins, minerals and fiber found in fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. She also said the typical dietary recommendation is five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day, although eight or more servings offers increased protection for the human body against cancer and heart disease -- the top killer of Americans each year. \n"There are so many different fruits and vegetables and so many different ways to prepare them, but if a student chooses not to eat them no one can force them because it's their health," Getty said. "You can't force fruit and vegetables down someone's throat." \nBloomington's very own "Chile Woman", local gardener Susan Welsand said her 12-year old chili pepper stand at the Farmers' Market offers community members more than 1,100 different kinds of chilies out of the more than 3,000 varieties worldwide. Welsand said she will not have any single chilies for sell Saturday because they are not in season but folks can acquire a $3 chili pepper bedding plant in a two-and-a-half inch pot to grow their own chilies in the comfort of their own home gardens, or even living rooms.\n"I love how chili peppers look, I love how they smell and most of all I love how they taste. Each chili has its own unique taste to me," Welsand said. "I eat a lot of peppers because they are good for you and a good part of a healthy diet. They are a little addictive."\nWelsand said the Bloomington Farmers' Market is not just a place to shop but a social atmosphere to meet friends and make new friends. Welsand said the benefits of the local farmers market are invaluable to the sustenance of the Bloomington community.\n"It's really easy to make dinner when all you have to do is walk outside and pick it. I like knowing where my food comes from," she said. "If I don't grow something myself, I know I can find it from other growers. I also like to support other local farmers and we have a nice variety of farmers at the market."\nLibby Yarnelle, director of Mother Hubbard, a Bloomington social service agency offering free food to community members in need, said her organization attempts to offer as much fresh and organic foods as possible to help build the health of the individual -- not just fill their bellies. She said the produce at the Farmers Market often tastes better because of the peak freshness gained from picking fruits and vegetables that morning.\n"A lot of the foods you see at the market are the same you see in mainstream supermarkets but the local farmers offer a bit more interesting variety and are better tasting because the produce was grown locally in Indiana," Yarnelle said. "Try fruits and vegetables that are familiar and then branch out to a variety of produce. The farmers are very knowledgeable about their products and they are very helpful in determining what you might want to eat."\nAfter the summer market ends in September, the fall Farmers' Market runs from 8:30 to noon in October and November.