Farmer's Market offers ways to eat organic, local

The different smells filling the air Saturday shifted from basil to espresso within a couple of feet.

From pumpkin and eggplant to coffee and iced tea, the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market sells an abundance of fresh, organic, locally grown produce every week on Morton Street.

Vendors can sell their products from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday until November.

Customer Sarah Roberts said she has been attending the Bloomington Farmers’ Market for years, traveling from New Jersey just to visit the market.

“They have such an incredible variety of produce, and it’s all good,” Roberts said. “They have a market in New Jersey, and I try to go there, but it’s not nearly as nice as this.”

Market vendor John McMahan sells spicy and bell peppers, as well as other organically grown produce each week. McMahon said the market is a family tradition.

“My dad used to come here to the market, so he got me into it,” McMahan said. “I took over for him, so I do some of my own plus take care of the stuff that he started.”

The popularity of the market’s organically grown produce can help discourage other non-organic farmers from polluting the soil and the air with toxins, McMahan said.

“I feel much more comfortable eating organic produce than I do something that’s been sprayed,” McMahan said.

Bloomington resident Katy Graessle said she came to see what the market had to offer.

“I moved here in 2010, so I’ve always wanted to come and just never have, but I’m really impressed with what I see,” she said.

Each week, the market provides entertainment including art fairs and music. Gift certificates for the farmers’ market can be purchased at the market, or at the Department of Parks and Recreation main office inside the City Hall-Showers building.

“I knew it was large and local,” Graessle said. “This is fantastic.”

Busy on Saturdays?
There are other ways to experience the flavors found at the Farmer’s Market.
The market supplies a number of recipes for customers on the webpage, bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket, under Flavors of Farmers’ Market Recipes.

There is also a Tuesday Market for customers to attend each week through the end of September, from 4p.m. until 7 p.m. at Sixth and Madison streets.