From House To Home

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Summer is here, and with it come wonderful fruits and vegetables. When you buy them at the grocery store, however, do you know where they are grown? How far have they traveled to get to you? What was used to make them grow and flourish? These questions often can’t be answered by the grocery store, but if you go to a local farmers’ market, those questions and more can be answered by the people who raised and picked the produce—within hours of your purchasing it.

Woodstock Farmers’ Market and Crystal Lake Farmers’ Market are two such markets that are booming with locally grown, fresh, nutritious, delicious fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products such as eggs, chickens, beef, flowers, honey, cheeses, and even wine. These two markets, while both unique to their communities, share a common theme of buying locally for the benefit of your table and the
environment beyond.

Keith Johnson, a producer for the Woodstock Market and a board member, says, “We maintain a real bond between the vendors and customers. It’s very fresh, plus you are talking to the person who grew it. You build up a bond of trust between yourself and your customers. The spinach scare [last year] didn’t bother us because everybody knows us. “

Diana Kenney, the executive director for Downtown Crystal Lake Mainstreet, says of their market, “One thing I really love is the whole idea of green—not foods coming from the other side of the world—the whole quality and energy thing. These are local farmers we use for the market, within a 20-mile radius. Less energy is used to get it to market.”

The products are not the only reason to attend the markets, however. Both of these markets are situated in charming locations with draws to other elements of downtown. Woodstock’s farmers’ market is located right on the historic downtown square. In addition to the market, patrons can listen to music, which is scheduled for each market day in the bandstand in the middle of the square; they also can stop by some of the cafes and restaurants that line the square.

Crystal Lake’s market is also set in an enchanting location. Situated right next to the downtown train depot, the market is in the ideal spot for customers who take the train in to shop. Another popular mode of transportation is to use the bike path, which also borders the market. Kenney continues, “It’s not necessary for somebody to drive to the market. It is situated in the middle of several neighborhoods, so many of those people are walking downtown to do their business—including the market. It takes you back, but it’s still progressive, and that’s what is really nice about it.”

These two markets, while both unique to their communities, share a common theme of buying locally for the benefit of your table and the environment beyond.

There are so many reasons to attend a farmers’ market—taste, quality, ecology, ease, and fun are just some of them. Johnson says, “People should start looking at what they are eating. If they do that, they will end up at a farmers’ market or start growing their own. You need to be buying good product.”

Kenney adds, “Customers get a fresher produce and one that is better for the entire system. People are making those decisions to buy locally. Where is the food coming from? What field and under what conditions? Several farmers are certified organic. These ideas are moving more and more to people’s thought process.”

As Johnson says, “After you’ve eaten cardboard tomatoes, you can’t go back. It’s not just the taste; it’s the nutrition. Every step you remove a vegetable from the garden, you lose value. We’re about as close as people can get without raising it themselves.” That’s what the farmers’ markets really have to offer—the freshest bounty of the season served up on your table tonight. 

If You Go

Woodstock Farmers’ Market
Dates: May 6-October 28
Hours: Every Tuesday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-1p.m. www.woodstockfarmersmarket.org

Crystal Lake Farmers’ Market
Dates: Early June-October
Hours: Every Saturday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. www.downtowncl.org