Fresh food, faces meet at market

For Altha Rose, gardening began as a hobby.\n"I always had a little garden in my backyard," Rose said. "I was giving everything away and a couple neighbors that sell here said, 'How come you don't take that to the Farmer's Market?' and I said, 'I never heard of it.'"\nNow, after 15 years of selling peaches, raspberries, flowers and other fresh goods, Rose said she knows what has made the Farmer's Market a success for 26 seasons.\n"At the market, things taste better," she said. "It's because things are fresh and they're raised with a lot of tender loving care -- that's the difference."\nThe Farmer's Market brings vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and gifts. Live entertainment, coffee and baked goods are also offered. Located on the plaza outside the Showers building at the corner of Eighth and Morton Streets, it is open Saturdays from 7 a.m to noon in May through October, and Tuesday nights from 4-7 p.m. in June through September. This season opened May 5.\nThe fresh, locally grown produce is what really brings people in, said on-site market coordinator Robin Hobson.\n"There's a great demand for local produce, especially with all the food safety issues," she said.\nAbout 2,800 shoppers visited Saturday, and Hobson said up to 5,000 have come during peak times. About 60 vendors sold Saturday, and will rise to about 80 in July, August and September, she said.\n"Part of the beauty of our market is that anybody can come. As long as they grow what they're selling. That's probably the biggest qualifying rule of the market. The grower is the seller. There's no middle man."\nHobson said occasional farm inspections are necessary when there is doubt the produce isn't locally grown.\nFor some shoppers, it's more than the fruits and vegetables. \nIt's a place where the community gathers to visit and keep up-to-date with the news of the area, said Donna McNeely, mother of Tracy "Dolphin" McNeely, who has conducted a tree-sit in a Brown's Woods tree for almost two months in protest of possible development of the area. She was distributing information at one of the many tables dedicated to promoting various causes.\n"I think this is really the flavor of Bloomington," she said. "It's where the community gets together. You see old friends and meet new people. You can really find out what's going on in your community."\nBloomington resident Bernadette DeLeon said the fresh produce draws her to the market but said she also enjoys the unique atmosphere.\n"I know there are plenty of other farmer's markets in other cities, but the ones I've been to haven\'t has this kind of feel -- the community feel."\nPaul Cain, a Bloomington resident, said the market captures the essence of the city. \n"To me this is what makes Bloomington a neat place to live," he said. "The spirit or the atmosphere of Bloomington is really exemplified, I think, in the Farmer\'s Market because you've got all kinds of people from all walks of life, and it's a real laid-back atmosphere. You can walk, meet people, talk to people. It's just really great"