Wednesday Market Reopens April 16th
Tomorrow morning is the big day - the official start of the Durham Farmers' Market 16th season and the beginning of the Market's Summer Hours! Starting in the morning, the Market will be open every Saturday from 8am to Noon throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Before the Market was open during the wintertime, we shut down during the cold months. Then, the first Saturday of April was our big opening day. It was a return of fresh vegetables, pastured raised meats, great artisan foods and handmade crafted items to downtown Durham. Now the Market is open all winter and we get to enjoy local food with ease all year long. But, that doesn't mean that opening day is and less exciting. There are lots of things that are happening tomorrow to get excited about...
First, and most importantly, we are finally having spring like weather! This week, many of our farmers were able to get our into their fields and start to planting spring crops, which is something that has been difficult to do this spring (and winter). Plus, the first Market of the new season will be warm, sunny and beautiful!
Tomorrow, you also get to meet our newest vendor! Understory Farm, will be coming to the Market for the first time! Understory Farm is Andrea Wood and Rob Jones. They specialize in growing oyster mushrooms all year round. They grow their mushrooms in a climate-controlled warehouse just outside of Chapel Hill. I had the opportunity to see their mushroom operation this winter and it was fascinating. Along with the oyster mushrooms, they also raise and wild harvest other types of mushrooms, offer mushroom growing kits, and spent substrate (that the mushrooms grew in) which can be used as a nutrient rich additive to your garden!
Along with Understory Farm, there will be some other new faces at the Saturday Summer Market. Big Spoon Roasters, Imagine That Gluten Free, and Melina's Fresh Pasta will also start selling at the Market this year! Not to mention, you'll see a bunch of other vendors that have taken some time off during the winter months.
With these new and returning vendors, the Market's setup with change a bit. To accommodate for more vendors, we will once again be closing Foster Street and it will be filled with Farmers' Market vendors. Vendors will extend around in a big square around the Central Market lawn (the lawn inside the Pavilion). Vendors will shift around to their new summer spaces. So, if you can't find a vendor that you are looking for, please stop by the information table (at the center of the Pavilion). We'll have maps and be able to direct you to the vendors that you are looking for.
Also, tomorrow, to mark the occasion, Chef Amy Tornquist, of Watts Grocery and Hummingbird Bakery will be our first Chef in the Market of the season! Amy plans to cook up some French toast with strawberry sauce and goat cheese crema. But, she also said that she could be inspired to make something else. So, we'll see! Amy will start cooking out on the Market's lawn at 10am. Stop by for a taste and some inspiration for cooking with local, seasonal foods. And, as Amy is cooking, the Spiritual Sound Brass band will be serenading the Market and the Park through the morning!
You'll also notice that our neighbors the Durham Craft Market are back on the east side of the Durham Central Park. And our neighbors, the Hunt Street Art and Food Truck Market will be over on Hunt Street in full force as well.
Tomorrow is going to be the kickoff to another great season at the Durham Farmers' Market. Thank you for being a part of it and making the Market what so vibrant and wonderful for the past 16 years!
See you at the Market,
Erin Kauffman
Market Manager
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Fresh this Week....
VEGETABLES: Arugula, Asian Greens, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Claytonia (Miners Lettuce), Cilantro, Cress, Collards, Daikon Radish, Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, Fennel, Dried Herbs, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mache, Micro Greens, Minutina, Oyster Mushrooms, Parsley, Pea Shoots, Popcorn, Radishes, Reishi Mushrooms, Rhubarb, Salad Mix, Scallions, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Sweet Potatoes, Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes, Turnips, Turnip Greens, and more
MEATS AND EGGS: Pork, Beef, Lamb & Mutton, Bison, Chicken, Duck, Goat/Chevon/Cabrito, Veal
Duck Eggs & Chicken Eggs
CHEESES: Fresh and aged COW and GOAT milk cheeses.
PLANTS: Vegetable Seedlings: Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Cilantro, Lettuce, Spinach. Fruit Plants: Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Figs. House Plants, Bedding Plants.
FLOWERS: Ranunculus, Hyacinth, Anemones, Poppies, Tulips, Stock, Mixed Bouquets
SPECIALTY ITEMS: Gluten Free Baked Goods, Raw & Creamed Honey, Pasta, Flour, Cornmeal, Grits, Baked Goods including Pies, Breads, Cookies & Pastries, Fermented Foods, Beer, Wine, Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Preserves, Wool
CRAFTS: Pottery, Woodwork, Photographs, Hand-dyed Clothing and other items, Handmade Clothing, Goats Milk Soaps, Body Butters, Lotions, Yarn, Roving, and much more...
Produce availability depends on weather conditions
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