Farmer's Market offers fresh food, spirit

On any given Tuesday afternoon or Saturday morning in the summer and fall months, people passing by the orange barrels of construction lining downtown Bloomington will stumble across a scene from the early years of America's heritage: a traditional farmer's market featuring up to 20 or more vendors selling produce grown with their own hands. \nThe weekly Showers Plaza Farmer's Market on the corner of Eighth Street and Morton Street offers health conscious people of all ages wide selections of fresh fruits and vegetables from local Indiana farmers. \nPlump, field-grown tomatoes, crisp green beans, hot chili peppers and tangy Cortland apples filled the cardboard crates lining the five vendor's booths set up in the courtyard beside Bloomington's Police and Fire Memorial on Tuesday, Aug. 31. \nJonas and Betty Winklepleck of Daviess County were among the veteran farmers running a vending booth. The couple has sold food at the Market nearly every week for the past 20 years, and their dedication shows. Bright red Celosia bouquets for $5 and bags of green beans for $2 lined their table, creating an array of color. \n"Our greenhouse is about 45 minutes south of Bloomington in Odon, Ind. where we grow vegetable plants and flowers," said Jonas Winklepleck. "Sometimes our grandkids help us pick, weed and sell (produce) for some extra money. We won't usually spray for insects unless we have to, because we eat the food, and our grandkids do too."\nDespite the upcoming seasonal switch, Tuesday's Farmer's Market, held from 3 to 6 p.m., will continue until the end of September, and the Saturday Market, held 7 a.m. to noon, will last through October. Highlights of the Saturday Market include performances by live local musicians, as well as more vendors and wider selections of food. Homemade cheeses and baked breads abound at the early Saturday soiree.\nAmong the food Willa Lee sells are plums, red raspberries and apples -- all priced $3 for a paper bag full.\n"The sweetest apples we have today are Gala," Lee said pointing to a bag of gently-colored red apples with green trim.\n"I've got bees that pollinate the orchard," she said, pointing out the homemade honey from the bees in her beehive. "It hasn't been proven, but some people like to think that using honey from their locale helps with their allergies."\nAccording to Lee, the Showers Plaza Farmer's Market usually attracts a diverse crowd.\n"We get all ages and ethnic groups," she said. "We're getting a lot more seniors now that WIC is in place. It's limited by the government, but now they can buy foods here." \nWIC is a "Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children." The Indiana State Department of Health regulates the WIC extension to the Market, enabling people in the program to eat healthier, thereby avoiding preservatives in canned foods. As Lee described the benefits of the program, a young mother approached the booth and purchased a bag of Gala apples with a WIC check. \nAmong the farms represented on Tuesday were Lee's Orchard from Columbus, Ind., the Winklepleck's farm from Odon, Ind. and Bryant Farm from Ellettsville, Ind., among others. \n"We were driving by, saw the market and thought we'd stop," said Bloomington resident and first-time market visitor Eric Brown. "I prefer fresh food." \nThe success of Saturday's market overflowed into Tuesday's gathering, said Bradley Drake, the Market's site coordinator. \n"I see it expanding to a Thursday Market," Drake said. "There are a hundred and some odd new apartments across the street and around the corner that will bring more people to the Markets. Just for the two years that I've been here, it's grown so much. We're getting to a point where we're overgrowing the space." \nDrake said he hopes the expansion of the market will spread to the restaurant industry.\n"We'd like to see restaurants buy directly from farmers," he said. "There are so many tomatoes grown in Indiana. Why aren't we using them? Some restaurants like the Runcible Spoon and Flavors of Jerusalem (already) buy local foods. I'd like to see more of that."\nWith longtime Bloomington residents, newcomers and local farmers participating in the community Market, buying and cooking fresh produce has grown trendy. But for traditional farmers growing their own food for their family's meals, healthy eating and good taste combine into one. Betty Winklepleck described her best recipe for the beans.\n"Just clean them, snap the ends off and boil them," she said. "I like to cook them with some bacon and grease to give them a little bit of flavor."\nNovember Market's will take place Nov. 6, 13 and 20 and the Holiday Market will take place on Saturday, Nov. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Market Coordinator Marcia Veldman at (812) 349-3738 or visit www.bloomington.in.gov.\n-- Contact staff writer Leslie Benson at leibenso@indiana.edu .