Farmers' market gets down to business early

Spring is here, which means sermons outside of Woodburn Hall, allergies for some and more fortunately, the opening of the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market. This year, for the first time, it is opening April 2 as opposed to its usual May opening date, according to a release.\n"The market has been growing rapidly in the last eight years, and there was a demand from both customers and farmers for the season to be extended," said Bloomington Community Events Coordinator Marcia Veldman. Veldman said the market's overall selection in April will not be as large as the summer supply, but it will be both profitable for the vendors and enjoyable for the customers to have the market functioning early.\n"As we go into the month of April, the variety will continue to appear," Veldman said. \nKim Bryant, an experienced market vendor, exemplifies the variety the market offers. Bryant carries an extensive supply of produce ranging from eggs to a type of organic fertilizer. \n"I knew some of the older farmers, I got in contact with the Parks and Rec department, and Marcia (Veldman) made it really easy; she told me everything I needed to know," Bryant said. \nBryant noted she enjoys selling at the market for moral as well as financial reasons. She comes from the nearby Elletsville and said that the atmosphere of selling locally in Bloomington was a big attraction.\n"I've been to the Indy market and it doesn't have the same hometown feeling as the Bloomington one does," Bryant said. "I enjoy the atmosphere as much as the money." \nShe added that no matter what the vendors provide for sale, including her organic fertilizer, called wormcasting, there will be a customer willing to try it out.\n"It's an odd thing to have, and I'm pleased with the amount of customers who are willing to try it," Bryant said. "It's good for houseplants and gardens."\nThe City of Bloomington Animal Shelter is also playing a part in the market. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon it will have adoptable dogs and cats at the market. \n"It's a positive relationship that we have with the animal shelter," Veldman said. "A lot of families come to the market and it's fun for kids to get to see the animals." \nDirectly next door to the market, A Fair of the Arts -- an arts and craft fair -- will include displays and demonstrations of visual arts and crafts by creators from Bloomington and surrounding areas. Veldman said that she has received frequent phone calls from artists who had accumulated enough of their own work that they desired to sell to the public.\n"There has always been an interest in the selling of art at or nearby the market," she said. \nA Fair of the Arts is a juried art event, which means that it is selection-based. First the artist submits an application, and than a jury selects the qualifiers that they see as fitting. Currently, all 32 available spaces for art vending are full for the whole season, selected from a pool of applicants on February 11.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Michael Beal at mdbeal@indiana.edu..