A cornucopia of Lawrence produce and meat as well as baked goods may be found at the Lawrenceville Farmers Market, to be held every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from June 26 to Oct. 2 in the parking lot of Lawrenceville Fuel Co. on Gordon Avenue.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
Aiming to bring a little bit of country to the city or the village Lawrenceville Main Street is bringing a farmers market to town this summer.
Starting Sunday morning, the fledgling Lawrenceville Farmers Market will offer a cornucopia of fresh produce and meat, as well as baked goods, in the Lawrenceville Fuel Co. parking lot on Gordon Avenue.
A half-dozen farms and a couple of businesses have agreed to participate in the Lawrenceville Farmers Market, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on summer Sundays. The farmers market’s last day is Oct. 2.
Although Lawrenceville Main Street is organizing the farmers market, the Trenton-based Capital Health Systems is sponsoring it. Many of Lawrenceville Main Street’s activities depend on sponsorship, such as the Jubilee and the Music in the Park series. A sponsor’s name and logo is mentioned in newspaper advertising, as well as in the quarterly newsletter sent out by the nonprofit group.
The seed for the Lawrenceville Farmers Market was planted by Mikey Azzara who has volunteered to serve as the farmers market manager earlier this year. He pitched the idea for a farmers market to Lawrenceville Main Street, which jumped on the proposal. He is the outreach coordinator for the Northeast Organic Farming Association-NJ, based in Pennington.
"I started a farmers market two years ago when I was working for Cherry Grove Organic Farm," Mr. Azzara said. "That’s what planted the original seed. There was no farmers market last year, and people kept asking for it."
The original farmers market was held outside the Chambers Walk cafe, in the parking lot between Gordon and Phillips avenues. The Wednesday afternoon farmers market featured produce from the Cherry Grove Organic Farm on Carter Road but Wednesday was an "odd time" for such a venture, Mr. Azzara said.
In the absence of a farmers market in the village of Lawrenceville last year, residents began to clamor for one to be revived, he said. Lawrenceville Main Street also missed it, he said, adding that the farmers market helped attract people to the three-block-long shopping area.
A farmers market also brings people closer to the source of their food, Mr. Azzara said.
"I think it’s really important to provide that connection who is growing your food and where is it being grown," he said. "Not everybody can be a farmer. For a lot of people, food is their main interaction with the land."
The Lawrenceville Farmers Market will feature products from Terhune Orchards, Cherry Grove Farm, Griggstown Quail Farm, Village Farms, Village Bakery, Plumb Brook Herbs and Cherry Grove Organic Farm.
Offerings range from organic and nonorganic fruits and vegetables to baked goods, cut flowers, beef, lamb, pork, poultry and game birds. People should be able to find just about anything they need, Mr. Azzara said.
But there is more in store than fresh food. The Lawrenceville Farmers Market will offer cooking demonstrations from restaurants in the village of Lawrenceville, as well as live music, he said.
"We want to encourage people to take time and hang out," he said. "Sunday is a very leisurely day. I think it will also provide a community for the farmers themselves."