France is the quintessential market-goers paradise. Traditional street markets flourish in every small town and all over Paris – with garden-fresh produce and every possible product. But why not save the travel budget because Greenbelt ain’t playing no deuxième fiddle. The Greenbelt Farmers Market announces its ninth year of operation starting Sunday, May 8 – Mothers’ Day – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot between the Community Center and Roosevelt Center. The market runs every Sunday until the Sunday before Thanksgiving – with the exception of Labor Day weekend when the Festival takes over. An additional market is held to synchronize with the Festival of Lights in early December.
There are exciting new vendors this year. By increasing the number of rotating vendors who come on a schedule but not every week, this year’s market provides an ever-greater variety of products in its restricted space and several new vendors make their debut in this category. Of particular interest is Caprikorn Farms, which will add a component much sought lo these several years – cheese. Caprikorn will come to the market the second and fourth Sunday of the month. A new specialty vendor is King Mushroom – they’ll alternate with Caprikorn, first and third Sundays and offer a wide selection of mushrooms – market-goers will think they were magically transported to France where no self-respecting market is sans a specialty mushroom vendor. Also making their regular season market debut is Meatcrafters – whose sausages were a big hit at the Holiday Market last year. They’ll set up in Glade-Link Farm’s spot for at least the first three markets in May (Glade-Link won’t return until the end of May or beginning of June when their crop is ready) then alternate with Jack Creek Plants thereafter (starting in June: first and third Sundays for Meatcrafters, second and fourth for Jack Creek). Meanwhile, Barnola – a locally-based producer and vendor of granola and grain products – will be attending on a space-available basis.
This year’s market will have many returning vendors, welcoming back familiar faces Shlagel Farms, Pleitiz, Three Springs, Pat Hochmuth and Patty’s Garden who team with last year’s new vendors Primaterra and Woodland Harvest to bring a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits to the market. Glade-Link Farms and Jack Creek round out the offerings of flowers and plants. Number 1 Sons will be back with its pucker-up zesty pickles and slaws.
Brunch aficionados will be delighted to hear that they’ll be able to get crepes and perhaps tacos from Miguel’s new venture – El Taco Loco and Crepes – and it’s hard to beat last year’s popular Indonesian specialties from Roy and RT. Two Oceans and Ferguson Family Farm will be back for the omnivores with smoked salmon and grass-fed meats respectively. Mouthwatering items from Heavenly Created Desserts (first, third and fifth Sundays, alternating with Clean Bee Soapworks) and Tiffany’s Oven cap it off especially when combined with a big dollop of Simple Pleasures ice cream and a great cup of Joe from Zeke’s to wash it all down. For those who tipple, Maryland wineries Knob Hall, Elk Run, and Romano will be taking turns throughout the season – offering tastings and advice on wine pairings. Baked goods are well represented by long-time vendor Stone Hearth Bakery – their asiago baguette is ambrosial and their pies mouthwatering. Rounding off the market are Clean Bee’s bee-based products including soaps and honey and Mystic Water’s natural-based skin care products.
New this year is our “Need a Bag” campaign. Committed to decreasing the use of plastic grocery sacks, the market secured a donation of several hundred new reusable fabric tote bags from Maryland Farmer’s Market Association to be given away free (while supplies last) at the information table and at individual vendor booths. The market is also collaborating with Greenbelt’s Zero Waste Group to increase composting and recycling at the market.
Behind the scenes, the market’s volunteer board of Terry Kucera, Anne Marigza, Lynn White, Stacy Brooks and Cathie Meetre has been working with Market Master Nancy Solomon to line up vendors and do the paperwork required to open the market. No small task. Perhaps Greenbelters take the market for granted after seeing it there year after year, but it only happens because a small group of dedicated volunteers work year round behind the scenes. Consider joining them.
The market is grateful to its sponsors – Cultivating Health, Author Kim Kash, Freedom Realty, Proteus Bikes, Doctors Hospital and the New Deal Café who help underwrite the activities of the market. Thanks also are due the City of Greenbelt, which allows use of the parking lot and provides invaluable infrastructure with traffic cones, trash pickup and overall support.
Donations are splendid but money isn’t everything and the market can’t function without volunteers. Money covers insurance and other direct market costs but there is much to be done. As well as hands on assistance at the market itself, there are many other activities with which volunteers can assist and which aren’t tied to Sundays. This includes visiting farms or producers to ensure that products originate as specified, organizing special events, assisting with sponsor relations, posting on social media, complying with multiple regulatory bodies and overall planning and administration of the market. Consider volunteering so this valuable community endeavor can continue. The commitment can be anywhere from a couple of hours a month upwards, in alignment with the volunteer’s own schedule.
To find out more or to offer to volunteer or donate/sponsor, see GreenbeltFarmersMarket.org, write email to info@greenbeltfarmersmarket.org or call the market’s phone number 240-476-8769 and leave a message (only monitored in real time on market days).
The Greenbelt Farmers Market is a 501c3 organization and donations and mileage are generally tax deductible.
Vive la France.