Farmers' Market Catch 22

The Catch? We've got to show up at the markets (and buy!) if we want to have more Farmers' Markets.

Rhode Islanders are certainly developing a Farmers' Market habit that now reliably extends into the winter months -- at least on Saturdays. The Hope Artiste Village Hall and "Greenhouse" in Pawtucket is regularly packed Saturdays with vendors and shoppers, enabling more farmers to grow more late fall produce for our pleasure and health. But I'm also developing a Wednesday market habit and hope you will, too.

Why shop twice a week at the Farmers' Market? Well, so you are a bit rushed and distracted and maybe don't think you have the time to stop midweek. But here's a tip: until the market has more habitual customers, you can park almost in front of the door on Wednesdays and run in for those fresh items you're thinking about buying on Saturday and wish you had now! You are probably out and about anyway between 4pm and 7pm on Wednesdays, and the market is not far from I-95 exits -- it's on the way home for many of us (and this is Rhode Island so it's not far from most of us anyway!)

And if you are tired or feeling hungry on your way home, you can get ready-made snacks and even a meal!

Yesterday I had a lot of errands that wore me down a bit, but I kept going by thinking about picking up a dish of curry and rice from the restaurant, India, at the Farmers Market for $3. But before I bought that, I had already sampled a grilled breakfast burrito and banana stuffed french toast. No need to cook for myself last night! The Wednesday market regularly features Chef David Rocheleau's talented Johnson & Wales crew who select fresh items from the vendor stands and make free samples of easily prepared dishes. PLUS they hand out recipes and you can watch them fix the food and ask questions. (Another tip: it takes them time to prepare, and the samples run out so show up around 5:15 or so). Friends ate and conversed around tables -- a meetup over a mango lassi from India is a pleasant late-afternoon alternative to meeting for coffee somewhere.

And of course, there's the fresh chicken and seafood, apples, veggies, oats, and ....

But as they say in the knife-hawking business, that's not all! There are a lot of stores along the market hallway that are open during the market, and this is a good season to do some gift shopping. One of the stores may have just the thing. Each week during the farmers markets, the Story Emporium will be hosting authors in their space on the 1005 Hallway at Hope Artiste Village. Check out their full events calendar.  There's a latke party on Wednesday, December 21st from 5-7pm. Bring your own traditional, creative, root veggie latkes to share! Some prizes will be awarded. Occasionally there's a film showing after the market, and word is that Farm Fresh RI is planning workshops and other activities to coincide with the Wednesday market.

So stay tuned to the news of the Wednesday market. If you are like me, it may take a few weeks to develop the midweek market habit, but the more of us who stop by and buy on Wednesdays, the more farmers and vendors will be attracted to setting up their tables, the more there will be to buy, the more friends there'll be to run into at the market, and the more grounded and prosperous we'll be in Rhode Island!