Harmony School hosts year’s first winter market

Knit into the fabric of Bloomington’s southern neighborhoods, Harmony School hosted the first Winter Farmers’ Market of the year in its gymnasium located on Second Street and Woodlawn Avenue. \nStudents, locals and out-of-towners alike gathered Saturday morning to purchase and sell a wide variety of produce. For the next nine Saturdays, members of the Local Growers Guild will give the community of southern Indiana a chance to buy directly from vendors’ hands, which can mean a cheaper price. \nBloomington resident George Cesnik frequents the summer markets. Cesnik had never been to the winter market, so he decided to make the early wake-up call this year to check it out.\n“It’s not as large as the summer markets,” Cesnik said, “but I’m surprised by a couple vendors’ products.” \nCesnik was referring to the wine and meat, which he didn’t expect to be available at the winter market. Many of the other products hinge upon the season. If placed in winter storage, the produce will remain ripe longer. Even this doesn’t guarantee availability in winter, as one vendor knows.\nLinnea Good owns and operates two greenhouses in Unionville. Located northeast of Bloomington by Lake Lemon, Linnea buses her plants to their future caretakers every Saturday morning for the event. \n“It’s usually only house plants and herbs,” Good said about the winter markets. “But in the summer, I’ll bring along perennials.”\nSarah McGee and her mother Teresa Birtles of Heartland Family Farm also came from out of town to sell at the market. Both have found a separate niche that taps different interests. Birtles fills stomachs, selling eggs and squash. McGee fills homes with wildflowers and plants picked for her homemade wreathes and potpourri. \nThis past summer proved difficult for McGee, considering the drought conditions, but these circumstances haven’t prevented the two from being at the market. \n“All our customers are friends,” Birtles said, “and we’re helping people at the same time.” \nThe next Winter Farmers’ Market will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Harmony School gymnasium.