Farmers Market attracts homegrown Ind. produce, goods

Heavy, gray skies and chilly 50-degree weather did not discourage patrons from attending the Bloomington Farmers Market Saturday morning. Showers Plaza was alive with the sound of live music, merchants selling their goods and upbeat conversation.

The Bloomington Farmers Market, which assembles every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., officially opened April 6 and goes through November. Vendors from all over the state set up shop and entice buyers with a variety of fresh produce and goods.

Linda and Randy Stout, owners of Stout’s Melody Acres in Franklin, Ind., specialize in “spicy.” Bunches of dried peppers were on display at the Stouts’ table next to jars of pepper relish offered in different levels of spiciness. The farm grows more than 20 varieties of sweet peppers and 25 varieties of hot peppers, which are used in the pepper relishes. Another popular item is the homemade pasta sauce. The Stout farm has sold its goods at the Farmers Market for 10 years.

Megan and Keith Marshall set up shop for the first time at the Farmers Market last May. The Marshalls, owners of YonderGround Farm in Paoli, Ind., rent an acre and half of land in a work-trade agreement with a nearby farm. In exchange for weekly labor at the other farm, YonderGround has a place to grow and thrive. Hearty greens are typically sold in the spring and fall, while cherry tomatoes are offered during summer markets. Megan Marshall said she is looking forward to growing summer squash, of which the farm produces eight different varieties.

“Unique is key for us,” Megan Marshall said.

IU senior Jessica Sobocinski helped staff the Bread & Roses table at the market. This is the company’s first year at the market. Jars of dried herbs, for use in teas, were for sale at the main table, and a variety of plants were featured. Many of the plants sold through Bread & Roses like comfrey, a perennial herb that can be used to treat wounds, are useful and medicinal.

At another table, the Webers Sugar Camp offered samples of its homemade syrup, doled out in small condiment cups, to passersby. John Byers and the two Weber brothers, Tom and Dan, chatted with customers about their homemade syrup.
It takes 50 gallons of tree sap to make one gallon of syrup, Byers said. The Webers Sugar Camp operation, located in Poland, Ind., produces 150 gallons of their product annually, exclusively sold at the farmers market. Byers said he appreciates the vibrancy and diversity the market offers.

“There are so many different walks of life,” Byers said. “This is the best farmers market in the world.”