Eat fresh

Lawrenceville Farmers Market set to open third season Sunday

By: John Dunphy
   The sound of crunchy, organic lettuce, scent of cut flowers and taste of freshly prepared dishes will be just some of the sensory delights on hand when the Lawrenceville Farmers Market opens its third consecutive season in the Lawrenceville Fuel parking lot on Gordon Avenue this Sunday.
   The farmers market runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 10 through Oct. 28. It will feature at least a dozen vendors this year, ranging from local meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable farmers, bakers, as well as cooking demonstrations and live acoustic music. An emphasis on organic products will be offered, including organic fruits and vegetables, and several area restaurants will be selling ready-to-eat foods throughout the day.
   Many of the market’s vendors, including Terhune Orchards, on Cold Soil Road; Valley Shepherd Creamery in Morris County; Village Farms, on Route 206; Village Bakery, on Gordon Avenue; and Griggstown Quail Farm, in Franklin Township, are returning for this year. Salvatore Scarlata, owner of the Vidalia restaurant on Phillips Avenue, will be selling his homemade sauces and salad dressings. Several new businesses also will be represented, including restaurants The Lawrenceville Inn and Chamber’s Walk Café, both of Main Street; Runnin’ Free Organic Farm, of Hillsborough; Catalpa, of Franklin Township; and Wrightstown-based Grossman Farm, specializing in specialty flowers.
   All of this from an operation that originated in 2003 with just one vendor — Cherry Grove Organic Farm, on Carter Road.
   Farm Market Manager Mikey Azzara — now the outreach coordinator for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, based in Pennington — had previously been a full-time farmer at Cherry Grove Organic. During that time he decided, with the assistance of Cherry Grove Organic Manager Matt Conver, that a farm stand would be set up in the parking lot of nearby Chamber’s Walk Café.
   "It was just us," he said. "One farm, one stand, on a Wednesday. People were asking if we could do this on the weekend and maybe bring in other vendors as well."
   While Mr. Azzara transitioned from the farm to NOFA-NJ the following year, people noticed the new farm stand’s absence. "The cool thing was, by taking it away, the people then asked for it," he said. "They asked: ‘Where’s the market? Where’s the market?’"
   Lawrenceville Main Street, the organization formed in the mid-1990s to revitalize the Village of Lawrenceville, was one of the main proponents of bringing back a farmers market. The two groups met, and a deal was struck to open the market in 2005 with six vendors in the parking lot of Lawrenceville Fuel Co., which was offered at no charge by Lawrenceville Fuel proprietor Gary Hullfish.
   Taking the lead from Mr. Azzara at Cherry Grove Organic was farming apprentice David Zaback. He returns this year at his own newly opened farm, Gravity Hill Farm on Pleasant Valley Road in the Titusville section of Hopewell Township, offering a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, including spring greens, heirloom tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, among other items throughout the summer. He also is in the process of having his new farm become certified by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture as fully organic.
   Mr. Zaback said his farming experience at Cherry Grove Organic and at the farmers market has helped prepare him to manage his own operation. Returning to the farm market was a no-brainer. "It just makes sense," he said. "I met a lot of regular customers. I already have a public presence there. And I love the people there."
   "There’s a growing demand for organic growers, so it just made sense for us to take that on as our primary market," Mr. Zaback said.
   Entering its third year, the market has flourished, Mr. Azzara said, in part because of the local aspect. Though many of the vendors are from Lawrence’s borders, several come from outside areas, including Princeton, Hopewell, Hillsborough and Bucks County, Pa. No vendor comes from farther than 50 miles away — a distinction required for any business to claim a product is "local," he said.
   Mr. Azzara, while noting the increased popularity of the market, also took into consideration requests by patrons for expanded offerings, including more activities for children and prepared foods for people to eat while wending their way through the numerous vendors.
   Elizabeth Hunt, owner of The Lawrenceville Inn, joins the farmers market this year. Her restaurant, operating in a restored Victorian-era house and specializing in "an eclectic mix of sophisticated American and old-time favorites," opened in 2003. "We were so new in the past years, we didn’t have the help. We were just trying to get our own game down," she said.
   "But, I’ve always patronized them," Ms. Hunt added. "I would run out there and get things off Dave’s wagon, get what I was missing for that day."
   She said she was happy to join the growing roster of businesses offering their products at the farmers market. Ms. Hunt will be offering various breakfast items in the morning, including "featherbed" eggs and fresh fruit. A signature burger, made with beef from Cherry Grove Farm on Route 206, and dressed with ginger scallions and soy sauce, will be sold at lunchtime.
   Ms. Hunt stressed the importance for people to buy locally, a practice her restaurant conducts as often as possible. "How can the local little places stay in business if we’re not going to patronize them?"
   That local aspect, ultimately, is at the core of what the Lawrenceville Farmers Market is all about, Mr. Azzara said.
   "Walking away, that’s what a lot of people say the best part of this is — it’s being able to see people on a regular basis and feeling like they’re part of this town," he said. "Come be a part of the community."
For more information, visit www.lawrencevillemainstreet.com.