Rise and Shine

Jeff Adelman, also known as the Herb Man, sums up his farming life by saying, “It goes like this. I work hard for seven months, get paid for three, and make it stretch for twelve. But I love it.” (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)[/caption] Jerry Xiong, vegetable farmer, shows off a sampling of his wares on a recent outing to the Farmers' Market. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)[/caption] By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN Brandon Jordan, whose family runs Jordan’s Ranch in Woodbury, has been up since 2:15am loading their delivery truck and helping set up the produce stall his grandparents started three generations ago. The St. Paul Farmers’ Market opens at 6am on Saturdays (8am on Sundays) May thru November. Shoppers may think this is early but for the 150 vendors who are ready to do business, a lot has already been done by the time the market opens. Market manager Jack Gerten has been coming to work on Saturdays at 3:30am for 18 years. One of the St. Paul Farmers’ Market’s two full-time employees, he oversees all 19 market locations in the City of St. Paul and knows each of the vendors who operates a stall. “There are many things that make our downtown location special,” says Gerten. “Everything sold here has been grown or made less than 60 miles away. That’s local.” He continues, “Lots of folks think we sell only vegetables. We do have wonderful vegetables but also a full variety of meats, cheeses, salsa, maple syrup, handmade quilts, flowers, egg rolls and too many other things to describe.” STORIES OLD AND NEW The St. Paul Farmers’ Market has been at its current location, at the intersection of 5th St. and Wall St., since 1982. But, the market has had a continuous presence in downtown St. Paul since 1853, operating out of several different locations. If you do the math, that’s 161 years. Back then you would have arrived at the market on dirt streets by horse or your own two feet. You would have heard steamboats blowing their whistles on the Mississippi River. Times have changed! Consider taking the light rail (Union Depot Station is less than 2 blocks from the market), the bus, riding your bike through the relatively quiet streets of Lowertown or, if you drive, look for parking on the south side of the market where it’s less crowded. Half the fun of going to a farmers’ market is seeing where things come from; the other half is meeting the growers and hearing their stories. Jeff Adelman, also known as the Herb Man, sums up his farming life by saying, “It goes like this. I work hard for seven months, get paid for three, and make it stretch for twelve. But I love it.” Adelman has both familiar and not so familiar-looking vegetables at his stand. When asked about the West Indian gherkins, purple Calabash tomatoes and plump white eggplants, he begins a well-informed discussion on the value of heirloom seeds. “These three varieties,” he explains, “are identical to those grown by Thomas Jefferson before he was president of the United States.” Mary Falk is a licensed cheese maker and co-owner of Lovetree Farmstead Cheese. She sells organic cheese at the Market. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin) [/caption] Mary Falk, a licensed cheese maker since 1996, is wearing a bright pink t-shirt that says “Got mold.” She unwraps her four varieties of soft goat cheese carefully. They are cabbage-sized, coated with different herbs and inspired by the flavors of Wisconsin’s north woods. Mary and her husband Dave co-own Lovetree Farmstead Cheese in Trade Lake (near Grantsburg), where they keep six milk cows, a dozen goats and about 100 sheep. They farm organically on 130 acres, and have set their remaining 70 acres aside as a wildlife preserve. They age their cheeses slowly and lovingly there, in a cave overlooking a pond. While all this sounds idyllic, it’s clear Mary is a no-nonsense, hard-working farmer with a rock-solid vision of farming and living sustainably. And she makes terrific cheeses... When asked if he has a favorite apple, Greg Novak of Novak Orchards in Woodbury says, “Every apple at the peak of its season is my favorite.” He had five varieties of summer apples on sale in late August: Zestar, Redfree, Paula Red, Green Pie and, of course, State Fair. The larger selection of fall apples will start coming in early September. Novak uses sustainable farming methods, including Integrated Pest Management (where good bugs eat bad bugs), to grow apples on the farm his parents started in 1951. Novak began coming to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market to sell apples as a boy; now he works side by side with his wife. He loved apples then, and he loves them still.

MTC is offering FREE METRO TRANSIT PASSES ONLINE to and from the downtown St. Paul Farmers’ Market on Sun., Sept. 21, from 5am-2pm. It is a great way to check out the market and relax without having to worry about parking or traffic! Hop on the bus or the light rail and head on over. Go to http://www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com and click on the prominently displayed box… answer two questions, and the pass is yours.

There is so much to look at and to taste at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market: savory herbs, buttery cheeses and crisp apples. There is also music to enjoy if you head over to the corner of 4th St. and Broadway, where piper Tom Klein comes each weekend, he says, “To practice in public.” He plays Celtic music on his Irish bagpipes, with a French tune thrown in now and then, maybe even a little Gershwin. Klein always brings his dog Opal with him, a friendly beagle-dachshund with an ear for good music.

MARKET TIPS

When planning your visit to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market, there are a few things to remember. Dogs are not allowed to enter the market. Like Opal, they can only be on the perimeter, so it’s best to leave them at home. Factor in a little extra time for parking; check the website for the “loading zone” if you think you’ll have a lot to carry. Bring a nice big bag to carry your purchases home in. WIC and EBT cards are welcome. Some vendors may not accept credit cards, so don’t forget your cash. Although the regular market will close in late November, the winter market will continue from December thru April for those of you who just prefer to shop outdoors.