With people becoming more aware of the benefits of eating healthy, and the push to help support local economies, local farms are reaping the benefits, and so are their customers.
In Ohio alone, over 11,000 small farmers sell at 144 local farmers markets, some which go all year round. Local farmers markets are great places to meet your neighbors, grab some fresh produce, and bakery from a local baker while you sip your coffee from the local coffee shop. If you bring your own grocery tote bags to the market, you will not only save the farmers money, but you will create a greener atmosphere to your local community.
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Every Saturday all year round North Union Farmers Market runs its farmers market at Shaker Square. Three quarters of the year, the farmers market takes up the entire center of Shaker Square filled with an average of 80 vendors lining both sides of the street. The market includes Amish baked goods, farm raised fish, poultry, beef and eggs, as well as fresh produce. Traffic is rerouted from 6 am to 1 pm every Saturday as the market is filled with regulars, including families toting children, and strollers.
During the winter from January through March, North Union Farmers Market comes indoors selling winter vegetables, baked goods, and handmade products. This is the original North Union farmers market, which began in 1995 and is a certified, producers only market. North Union now runs several other markets in Greater Cleveland, Ohio.
Shaker Square Farmers Market Pictures and Gifts
Food in Cleveland, OH
Besides the fresh, local produce that you can find at any local farmers market, shoppers can also often find all kinds of other unique advantages. Many local farmers will sample their fresh produce and other wares, including recipes made from their produce. Other farmers markets will invite local chefs to give cooking demonstrations with their fresh foods.
Are you an amateur farmer or an avid gardener? Learn from the experts how to grow your own vegetables or buy heirloom seeds from the farmers.
Many farmers will gladly offer advice on how to pick out the best produce from their selection, and offer suggestions of how to cook or what to mix an unusual vegetable with.
This is what you can find if you are shopping for fresh produce in season in Ohio:
PEAS
Peak season: May
Best when bright green, glossy pods that look fat or full
STRAWBERRIES
Peak season: June
Best when berries are firm with full red color and leafy caps. Small to medium berries are usually sweeter than larger berries.
BELL PEPPERS
Peak season: July to September
Best when peppers are firm, brightly colored, thick and fleshy.
EGGPLANT
Peak season: July to August
Best when firm, smooth eggplants. Smaller eggplants are less bitter, have fewer seeds and do not need to be salted before cooking.
PEACHES
Peak season: August to September
Best when firm, fragrant peaches with a deep soft yellow to golden color.
SWEET CORN
Peak season: August to September
Best when ears are evenly filled with fresh green husks and silk showing at the top. Corn kernels should be plump, moist and brightly colored.
When traversing local farmers markets looking for produce, here are some terms that you should know in order to help you choose your fresh produce:
Artisan--Products made in small batches by hand.
Heirloom--Vintage types of fruits and vegetables, dating back at least 50 years and grown from seeds developed by farmers through years of cultivation and selection.
Organic--Food certified to have been grown or raised without any synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, or other chemicals.
Vine-ripened or tree-ripened-- Fruit allowed to fully mature before being picked--harvested at the peak of flavor.
Producer only--A market whose vendors come from within a 100-mile radius and only sell products they grow, raise process or make themselves.
Visits to the farmers market can be a great chance to visit with friends, either by meeting them there or by bringing them with you. You can stroll most markets with your coffee in hand, and pick up a pastry or piece of fruit to eat with your coffee.
Plan a dinner with your friends by cooking what you have purchased at the market together, adding some local wines, and a dessert made with some local berries or other fruit.
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