Farmers Market a Regular Destination for Freshness

The Madison Farmers Market, laid out along Waverly Place each Thursday afternoon, is perhaps on the most inviting farmers's markets for miles around.

Kicking off at 2 p.m. and stretching until dusk at 7 p.m. each week, this tidy market of 10-12 vendors seems to be just the right size and have just the right mix of offerings available to please the community each week.

Vendors offer corn -- popped, roasted and still in the husk -- pickles,  a plethora of peaches and other fruit, fresh fish, fresh baked breads, lemonade and a smattering of homemade crafts. 

If anyone were to select the single most popular items offered at the market it would likely be "fresh corn," said Maureen Byrne, commissioner of Madison's Downtown Development Corp., which produces the market. "Peter (of Melick's Farm) will go through 25-30 bushels of corn each week," Byrne said. "It's the corn and tomatoes, the fresh vegetables."

Fran Becker, the DDC's farmers market manager, offered her appraisal: "It's because you can't get [vegetables)] any fresher. "People are becoming more concerned about processed foods. These items were picked this morning."

The market also offered a Swimmer's Special: a free mini-bag of Kettle Korn for shoppers with pool badge, and the DDC gave away free tomato stress balls to the first 100 people to its table.

Some of the allure, to be sure, is the enjoyment of walking from vendor to vendor on a sunny summer day sampling vendors' wares. Market-goers can sample kettle corn, a variety of pickles, ravioli, fresh mozzarella cheese, bread and whatever else sponsor Whole Foods brings along. 

"I could eat my way up and down the street," said Connie Ledder.
Ledder also noted the friendliness of the vendors and some "young man [a lemonade vendor] who told us what to buy and how to cook it."

Others do some comparison shopping every time they come out to the market. 

"We like all the fresh vegetables," said Colleen Castellano of Madison. "We like the quality of it, its better than the grocery store."

The "we" was a reference to her son, Connor, 7, who said he liked the lemonade from Stony's and the pickles.

While those items may have been in the recipe to Connor's heart, others were gathering ingredients for for their favorite recipes.

"I bought eggplant, zucchini and peppers," said Mary Bonfiglio, who lives in Ridge Oaks, a senior housing facility in Basking Ridge. "I am going to make a ratatouille."

When asked why she chose the Madison Farmers Market to buy ingredients, she said, "I like to get fresh organic fruit. It's fresher over here. And it's outdoors and I trust them better."