By ANDREA MCCANN
Indiana Correspondent CARMEL, Ind. — The 11-year-old Carmel Farmers’ Market at Civic Square is a place where people can “Get Fresh on Saturday,” as its tagline says.
Located next to city hall and the Monon Trail, the market draws tens of thousands of visitors throughout the summer. This year, Market Master Ron Carter said the all-volunteer market committee expects 40,000-45,000 people to shop at the wide variety of vendor booths erected in the city hall parking lot on Saturday mornings.
“This year we have 50 vendors per week, and we only have space for 47,” Carter said, adding in 2011 the market will move to the Carmel Performing Arts Center.
In contrast, there were nine full-time vendors the first year the market opened, he said. At that time, there were four other competing markets in the greater Indianapolis area. The surrounding area now hosts more than 30 farmers’ markets, yet the Carmel market has grown steadily since its launch.
The diversity of goods at the market, the freshness of the local produce and the socialization factor attracts visitors of every age.
David and Rebecca Zipes of Carmel, along with their daughters, Lily and Ellie, each have their favorite feature at the farmers’ market.
“We try to come each week,” David said. “We like (the produce) being local and fresh. We mainly get produce, as opposed to baked goods. The kids even like to get up for it.”
He said his favorite item at the market is the watermelon, though he also likes the ugly cantaloupes because “they taste better” than the pretty ones. Rebecca likes tomatoes. Lily shyly admitted she likes the cookies, and Ellie firmly stated she likes the kettle corn.
The Zipes like the variety at the Carmel market and like to choose new vegetables to try. Rebecca was interested in trying green tomatoes and David said they found some “cool-looking squashes.”
Cookies are something David and Mary Ann Ferrin know a little about. They own First Avenue Cookie Co. and Ferrin’s Fruit Winery in Carmel, and have had a booth at the market every year but the first.
“We like doing it,” he said. “We really enjoy the people and talking to everybody. You used to not get the kids up for the market, but now the kids bring the parents for cookies.
“People should just come to visit with people, eat, drink, listen to music and have a good time.”
Ferrin said their winery uses primarily Indiana fruits and concentrates to make all its wines on-site in Old Town Carmel. Some of their wines have unusual flavors, such as Candy Apple (cinnamon apple), Tropical Breeze (pina colada), Checkered Flag (chocolate) and Raspberry Wonder.
“We don’t raise our own fruit … because of the oddity of everything we do,” Ferrin explained.
According to market rules, growers must raise at least 50 percent of the produce they sell at the Carmel market. If they purchase additional produce, it must come directly from another Indiana producer; it cannot be purchased through a middleman or an auction. Carter said farm inspections are conducted on a random basis, unless there’s a complaint about a vendor; then, an inspection will be done of that vendor’s operation.
“You must live in Indiana to sell at the market,” Carter said. “Everything has to be Indiana grown and/or produced. Prepared food must be prepared by the vendor.”
Glen Grabow of Pendleton has been a vendor at the Carmel Farmers’ Market all 11 years.
A retired engineer, he started an orchard, then decided to put in a bakery because his late wife, Marilyn, liked to bake. Now Grabow bakes and has developed his own bread recipe. Besides breads, he offers pies, cookies and apple dumplings – for which he’s famous.
“I also do sugar-free and whole wheat,” he said. “I use all-natural ingredients.”
His apple dumplings were featured on the Food Network’s “Food Finds” show in January 2002, creating a flood of business, and has been repeated since the original airing. He said the dumplings have been shipped to every state.
Rosie’s Ribs are becoming a locally famous food item at the market. Rosie Lewis, who owns a restaurant at 9545 Pendleton Pike, smokes ribs, pulled pork, turkey and chicken on-site. It’s her first year at the Carmel market, and she said business has been great.
One week, she ran out of plastic foam containers and almost sold out of food. Repeat customers in line at her booth said her barbequed meats are “the best I’ve ever had.”
Jim Spall of Carmel said he’d tried Rosie’s barbeque and was back for more. “We come (to market) every week,” he said, adding the fresh produce and pork are favorite purchases. “My wife likes to support the local economy.”
Besides produce, wines, baked goods and cooked meats, other items visitors can find include frozen elk and buffalo meats, frozen sausage, salsa, cheese, flowers and plants, tea, coffee, honey and fudge. In addition, there’s generally music and a program.
“Cooking at the Market” is a regular program, held at 9 and 10 a.m., with a different theme every week. Sandra Long, who’s in charge of the program, said it’s been popular and has attracted visitors from several hours away.
“Today I talked to a couple from north of Fort Wayne,” she said. “They saw the Carmel market listed as an activity on the Web and came last year. A dietician from Clarian was giving the program. They enjoyed it so much they came back for her demonstration this year. … They valued what they got out of it last year.”
Long said the couple spent the night prior in a local hotel and stayed all morning at the market. Their weekend trip to Carmel, just to attend the market, brought money into the local economy, she pointed out.
“Two ladies come one weekend every summer from Danville, Illinois, because they enjoy it so much,” Long added.
Vendor fees and local business sponsors help pay for advertising, signage and entertainment, according to Carter. He said the market wouldn’t be what it is without local support.
“We couldn’t do it without the support of the city of Carmel,” he said. “Mayor Jim Brainard is a huge proponent of the market and is here every week.”
For more about the Carmel Farmers Market, visit www.carmelfarmersmarket.com |
