Good harvest: Suburban farmers markets start wrapping up for the season

It was a bumper crop at the farmers market.

After 17 weeks, with two Saturday mornings left at the Glenview Farmers Market at Historic Wagner Farm, 19,528 people had attended.

It's not the "crazy-good year" of 2013 in which farm director Jonathan Kuester said 31,000 people attended, but with two dates remaining 2021's attendance should surpass last year's total of around 20,000.

The reason people flock to Wagner Farm and to the Northbrook Farmers Market, which ended its season at the Meadow Plaza parking lot on Oct. 13, is obviously the food provided by local - that's within about 100 miles - vendors.

Fresh produce was fantastic this summer, said Dale Duda, president and Illinois Certified manager of the Northbrook Farmers Market.

"It was a good growing season and everybody benefits from that," she said.

Several factors, though, including what she called "pandemic fatigue," contributed to a market season she thought was a little less robust than the last. Northbrook attendance was hard to gauge beyond the eyeball test, though, since unlike last year people could filter into the lot from multiple access points rather than one distinct entrance.

Being an all-volunteer crew of "Onion Heads" - such as sunny, 80-year-old customer greeter Mady Fern - the Northbrook market also lacks the municipal apparatus of the Glenview market under the auspices of the Glenview Park District.

Duda noted the supply chain and staffing issues that have become prevalent under the enduring COVID-19 pandemic did have an affect, though she said the core 12-13 vendors, similar to that at Glenview, remained stable.

"The vendors who were there and remained, who were able to get through those staffing issues, were able to do very well," she said. "But I do think pandemic fatigue set in this year. We did seem to have fewer people this year than we did last year."

As some corporate sponsorships fell off due to their own pandemic response, the Northbrook Farmers Market got a big boost in funding by NorthShore University HealthSystem, which has helped support the market for a decade.

Health restrictions were eased a bit since last year at Historic Wagner Farm, which Kuester said has hosted the Glenview Farmers Market for 15 years. One-way flow of customers was removed as were barriers between customer and vendor, though space between vendors was maintained. Masks were not required in the market, and customers were able to touch the produce before purchase unlike in 2020.

Still, Kuester said the market follows Cook County regulations, "and those are the toughest in the state." There were no virus outbreaks associated with the market, he said.

"We tried to stay as far on the safe side as we could and still tried to hold the market. And I think that showed in people's willingness to come out," Kuester said.

Both local markets continued to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) using Link cards, matching people's money up to $25 in tokens redeemable only at the market.

Kuester said with two days remaining the Glenview market had provided nearly $12,000 in these funds, or about $24,000 that had gone to vendors. Last year set a record for the program, and Kuester said it'll be surpassed this summer.

Duda didn't notice more people using the program, which was aided by a Village of Northbrook grant, but they often exceeded the $25 match. In September, Duda said the weekly average SNAP totals were the highest she's seen.

"(That) tells me they want to have fresh, wholesome food," she said.

The Glenview and Northbrook farmers markets also continued to benefit the Northfield Township Food Pantry. At the end of each Glenview Market, Kiwanis members picked up produce donated by vendors, about 100 pounds weekly, Kuester said.

Northbrook held a specific "Summer Stock Day," sponsored by Edward Jones in Northbrook, in addition to weekly donations.

"We are truly fortunate that the generous vendors at the Glenview and Northbrook farmers' markets donate unsold produce to us each week," said Northfield Township Supervisor Shiva Mohsenzadeh. "Their generosity enables us to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables to our clients facing food insecurity. We are grateful for their ongoing support."

Though the Northbrook Farmers Market closed Oct. 13 with entertainment and activities including its Li'l Pumpkins decorating contest for kids, the seasonal apples, mums and honey at Historic Wagner Farm are looking real good.

"Every week is kind of a new adventure at the farmers market," Kuester said.

"It's been a great year," he said. "It's still a COVID year, we're still dealing with that, but as far as the market goes it's gone off without a hitch. It's been a good year for vendors, they've sold a lot and had good seasons. We're looking to close it out strong these last two weeks."