Father’s Day

As long as I can remember, it’s been a real challenge to shop for my Dad. I struggle to think of gifts to buy him and when I do, there is a good chance he has already bought that item for himself.

My quest for a great gift for my dad changed one day at the Farmers Market in 2018. I was working at the market info booth and a coworker had stopped by to say hello. She was done with work for the day and was picking up some pickles for her Dad. She mentioned that he was obsessed with one of our vendor’s pickles and she had come to buy pickles as a Father’s Day gift.

Cue my light bulb moment. My Dad LOVES pickles. I thought, “What the heck, I’ll buy him some pickles for Father’s Day.” I headed over to Schyma’s Pickles and Preserves and bought a few jars of pickles. They were a huge hit.  My Dad loved them, shared them, and I found myself in a new role as “pickle supplier,” buying pickles on a weekly basis for our friends and family.

Along with pickles, my Dad loves baked beans. In 2019 l decided to mix it up for Father’s Day and I bought him some baked beans from JB’s Homemade at It’s Finest. The beans were a hit and I now am the bean transporter, buying 1 gallon of beans at the market every time I see my Dad.

Unique food items make wonderful gifts for any holiday or celebration. Have you ever shopped the Farmers Market for holiday or hostess gifts? We would love to hear what you’ve purchased and for whom!

Connecting over Food

As a new homeowner, quarantine has been a great time to work on projects around the house. The first few weeks were spent spring cleaning and decluttering the inside, but as the weather has warmed, my projects have moved to the exterior of the house.

After many YouTube videos, Internet searches, and a few calls to my Mom, I successfully landscaped around the house and garage. While seeing my finished project gave me lots of satisfaction (and much cleaner hands!), I enjoyed the process of planting and landscaping. There is something so rewarding about working in the sun, breaking a sweat, and seeing a little progress every day.

One moment that stands out from my project actually has nothing to do with landscaping. While working in the yard, I heard a soft mutter over the fence. Our sweet neighbor was stopping by to say hello.  He and his wife are both retired and we haven’t seen them much during quarantine. We chatted briefly about house projects, gardening, and life during quarantine.

Right before we wrapped the conversation, our neighbor mentioned that it might be fun to get together for a meal after quarantine was over. Then he suggested that instead of waiting for quarantine to end, we could pack our own meals and bring our families together – at a safe 6 ft. distance – across the fence between our yards.

While we haven’t put a date on the calendar for our fence picnic yet, our conversation made me think about the role that food and gathering over meals plays in connecting with others, even during quarantine. Thinking back to family gatherings, people always seemed to congregate around food – whether that meant standing around appetizers at the kitchen island or a bowl of chips and salsa at the table. I come from large Italian family, so food is always at the center of every get together. There is always a large spread of food, way too many leftovers, and it wasn’t until I met my fiancé that I learned that not all family gatherings take place in the kitchen!  

As I continued to think about experiences gathering over food, I thought a lot about what that means for the farmers market during this time. Although the market isn’t a place where we can gather and linger right now, there is still so much beauty in being able to buy food direct from the growers and makers.  Those folks across the table from you are the same ones who planted a seed, nurtured it, and grew it into the bountiful harvest that sits on your table. These are the people who have spent countless hours testing that recipe to bake a delicious treat that you can take home and share with your family.

As you shop, I encourage you to get to know your vendors – ask them questions about their products, themselves, and their business. They truly are a great resource and have so much knowledge about food. Even in this time of social distancing, a smile, a thank you, and a brief conversation while you purchase from your local growers and makers can be the building blocks of a new connection and friendship.

Welcome to your Pandemic Farmers Market!

First off—please know that our farmers market team is thinking of you, our dear community, and sending wishes for calm and health.  These are uncertain and troubling times but we hope you are tucked in at home and finding some enjoyment in the great gift of time we’ve all been given.  We hope you’re cooking, walking, reading, planning a garden, and focusing on strategies to boost your health.

Our individual and communal lives have jumped the track into new patterns so very quickly, and we all expect continued changes on the horizon.  One thing that remains constant is that we all need to eat! Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture have been clear that farmers markets are essential services, similar to grocery stores and pharmacies, and can continue to operate as a source good, nutrient-dense food for the community.  We’re tracking best practices from markets here in Minnesota and across the country and will work with Hennepin County Environmental Health to host socially distant, nutritionally proximate markets.

We have tested this “new way to farmers market” with small outdoor markets on April 16 and April 30.   So far, so good! Warmest thanks to those of you who have shopped the market –you’re sustaining local farmers and food makers.

The market will be open each Thursday from 3-7 p.m., beginning May 14.  We expect it to feel similar to AND different from our regular operations. Here are the measures we’re taking to keep our customers, vendors, and staff safe.

1. Vendor booths will be spread apart to ensure plenty of room for shoppers to spread out.
2. Expect one-way food traffic in the market. It’s like a big, colorful, yummy merry-go-round.
3. Handwash stations will be available in multiple locations throughout the market. Please use them like crazy!
4. Entry to the market may be metered if we have a large customer turnout. In that case, we’ll be grateful for your patience as we allow one customer in when another leaves.
5. Forms of payment have not changed. You may still use cash at each vendor booth. Many also accept credit and debit cards. If you need more purchasing power, please visit Market Info to buy tokens, which operate just like cash throughout the market.  SNAP and EBT are also welcomed! Use your nutrition support card to buy tokens at Market Info and receive a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10 each week.
6. We have temporarily suspended all “extras.” There will be no Power of Produce Kids’ Club, no Frequent Shopper Rewards, and no live music.  Don’t worry. They’ll all come back when the coast is clear.

Here’s what you can do to make the market a safer place:

1. Stay home if you are not feeling well of if anyone in your family is ill.
2. Arrive a little later. The market is busiest from 3-5 p.m. If you prefer a less-congested market experience, or if you would like to bring the whole family, please plan to shop after 5:00 p.m.
3. Wash your hands when you enter and exit.
4. Shop with your eyes! Point to your selections and allow the vendor to handle products.
5. Please considering pre-ordering. Our vendors have rolled out a number of options for prepayment and contactless pickup at market. Pre-ordering is entirely optional but will help you move through the market faster.
6. Designate one shopper from your household and send that one person to the market.  This will cut down on crowding. Pro tip: Be sure to let your family request their favorite market goodies! 
7. Offer to shop for a neighbor!

In normal times, the market has a core mission with three parts:  Providing a profitable marketplace for small-scale local farmers and food makers; providing the highest-quality healthy foods to area residents; and serving as a positive gathering place for the community. In these crazy times you can help us fulfill the first two, while we distance ourselves from the third. We love you, but–get in, get your goodies, and go home! This strategy will help us continue to host markets through the COVID-19 restrictions and ensure that our farmers make enough money to come back in future market years.

We’re so fortunate to have the advice and guidance of Hennepin County Environmental Health and Maple Grove Public Safety as we plan these events.  We’re also following the example of markets across the country. We invite you to learn more by signing up for our e-newsletter and following the market on Facebook and Instagram.  Detailed plans will also be posted on www.maplegrovefarmersmarket.com