by Dennis Dalman
The ever-popular St. Joseph Farmers’ Market opened its 25th season Friday, May 9 with a large crowd of sauntering shoppers, music and many vendors selling delicious locally raised foods.
The market, located just south of Celebration Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, will be open from 3-6 p.m. every Friday through Oct. 17. That’s a total of 23 Fridays. There will not be a market on Friday, July 4, but there will be a Farmers’ Market float in the annual Lions Club Fourth of July Parade in downtown St. Joseph.
What vendors offered May 9 were colorful, dizzying, delicious mounds of foods to choose from: flowers for Mother’s Day, special Mother’s Day cookies, jewelry, maple syrup, honey, crocheted crafts, jellies, fruit-tree plants, homemade French macarons, variety cheeses and much more.
Among the many market vendors and what they offer are the following:
“Baked Hearth” (Sarah Covelli, St. Joseph): sourdough bread, cakes and pies, jewelry, cookies and muffins, crocheted items.
“Wildwood Ranch” (the Carlson family, St. Joseph): maple syrup, candy, preserves, herbs and vegetables, raspberries.
“Produce Acres” (the Willenbrings, Cold Spring): asparagus, rhubarb and as the season progresses a garden variety of goodies that include corn, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, berries, lettuce, kale, dill, and much, much more.
“MN Roots Farm” (Austin Maile, Avon: cut flowers, bedding plants, wood-fire roasted coffee beans, salsa, herbs and spices and lots more as the season progresses.
“Collegeville Orchards” (Todd Buemer, Collegeville): Early-season produce, annual flowers and hanging baskets, chicken eggs, honey and maple syrup and later in the season apples and apple-wood chips.
There are many other vendors who raise their foods or create various crafts from other area cities, including Sartell, South Haven, Little Falls, Brooten, Albany and Sauk Rapids.
25th year
A committee is now being formed to make plans and activities for the 25th year of the St. Joseph Farmer’s Market. A celebration will take place on Friday, Aug. 8 at the market site.
Anyone interested in being part of the committee should notify the market at stjosephfarmersmarket.com.
In addition, the committee is seeking anyone’s photos taken of the markets throughout the years. Anyone wanting to share those, contact stjosephfarmersmarket.com.
Homemade cookies, jams, breads and other treats abound at one of the many vendor tables and booths at the St. Joseph Farmers’ Market.
