Tuesday Farmers' Market opens for summer

"Rabbits are taking over my garden!" exclaimed a customer, picking through a bouquet of green lettuce leaves at the Tuesday Market. "I have a bunch of baby rabbits nibbling into all of my lettuce, so I need to add to my stock," she said. \n"Yes, they're certainly a problem this year," said the vendor, Michael Hicks. "There's too many of them!" \nLuckily, no rabbits were found at the first day of this summer's Tuesday Market. Green and white canvas tents dotted Showers Plaza, 320 W. Eighth St., as vendors sold brightly colored bell peppers, unique varieties of greens and potted plants. \nHicks' interest in organic food and farms stems from his love for gardening. \n"I used to work on organic farms overseas, and I like to promote locally grown food," Hicks said. \nWhile working in Ireland and Spain, Hicks gained an understanding of tending to organic crops that eventually led him to his job. \n"My primary orders go to restaurants and grocery stores, and I also bring produce to the Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. And I almost always sell out," he said with a laugh. \nHicks' produce includes distinctive types of lettuce and greens, cabbage, onions, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes. Later in the summer he will add beans, pumpkins and squash to his stock. \nHicks is pleased to be able to merge his personal environmental interests with his job. \n"My job combines something I really believe in, organic produce, with my work, so I'm really happy about it," he said. "I really enjoy selling at the Market. In fact, I plan things around it."\nThis is Hicks' first year selling produce at the Tuesday Market and second year at the Farmers' Market, held every Saturday. Another vendor, Kim Bryant, has been selling her produce at both markets for four years. \nBryant thinks customers love shopping at fresh food markets because of the freshness of the vegetables, and they can support local farms. \n"This morning I saw the first buds of my sweet bell peppers, and I got so excited," Bryant said. "I can't wait to bring more of them when the time comes."\nBryant's current offerings are lettuce, dill and onions. In mid-June, sweet peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes will be available. \n"Dill is a great ingredient, and can be used in so many ways," Bryant said, gesturing to a sprig of dill lying delicately on a wooden cutting board. "And cucumbers! I can never have (too much) cucumbers or lettuce. When any new crop arrives, it sells out fast." \nHicks and Bryant both agree the Tuesday Market is much smaller than the regular Farmers' Market held every Saturday.\n"It's smaller, but hopefully we'll get many more vendors, and we can get going," Hicks said. \nMore produce is available at the regular Bloomington Community Farmers' Market fom 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays at the Showers Common, 401 N. Morton St.\nThe addition of the Tuesday Market was proposed by local farmers and customers, said Marcia Veldman, the Farmers' Market coordinator. \n"We had considerable interest from farmers who needed to sell produce twice a week," she said. "We also surveyed our customers, and they loved the idea."\nThe annual Tuesday Market began in 1999, and seven years later, popular demand has kept it going. The clientele usually consists of stay-at-home moms, senior citizens and downtown employees who stop by during their lunch breaks or after work, Veldman said. \nProduce expectations vary with the seasons. Early season produce includes greens, lettuce and onions, and later in the summer, tomatoes, sweet corn and green beans will hit the market. \nThe Tuesday Market is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Showers Plaza, located at 320 W. Eighth St., and will take place weekly until the end of September. Admission is free. For more information, contact the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation office at their Web site: www.bloomington.in.gov/parks.