May 25, 2024 at precisely 9:00 a.m., the weekly Lansdowne Farmers Market will open for business!
Can you believe that it’s been six months since my last letter? Did you even have time to miss me? And here we are…like we never said goodbye! Ready to resume life out of doors, in our summer clothes and in the expansive state of mind that comes with the warm weather. We’re soooo ready to mix and mingle again. So, hello!
But before we close the book on the blahs, I should note that our ‘downe town hasn’t let winter slow our new momentum. Can you feel that hum? There are things, BIG things happenin’ on the Ave and around the town…new parks popping up here and there, a buzz growing along the main drag, and no, you’re not in gay Par-ee…sitting at those little outdoor cafe tables are actual Lansdonians (LansDOWNians?) having coffee and conversation like expats.
You’ve also probably noticed that the long-awaited Historic Lansdowne Theater is this close to opening its doors to a new crowd and a new chapter. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lansdownetheater to see for yourself. Dreams come true here…even long-awaited ones. Even our own stomping grounds will be getting some love sometime soon. YEP! The Lansdowne Landing is getting a makeover. Can’t wait to see what that will be. Stay tuned.
Whatever, whenever that happens, rest assured that the Lansdowne Farmers Market will be here to help you reconnect with your town and your tastebuds. Because keeping it local is what we’re all about. And finding local small businesses is where we start. In fact, while you were away, our crack LFM management team has kept busy reconnecting with our returning vendors, and also exploring and sourcing new goods and possibilities to join our weekly lineup.
Here, can I just say a word about our vendors? Whether it’s food or facial scrubs or something in between…they are amazing. They’re small, mostly home-based and family-run teams that spend 6 days a week of prep, and four hours every Saturday to bring their “babies” to your attention. “Shop local” isn’t just a catch phrase…it’s a thoughtful life choice that fuels the local economy and gives entrepreneurs a place at the table.
Of course, the star of any Farmers Market is that table piled with the fruits and veggies of the season…flavors that I’ve (and maybe you’ve) waited for all these long months. Tastes that instantly transport me to my childhood and trips to the Jersey Shore that always included a stop at the roadside stands along the Black Horse, or crunchy apples, cool nights and swinging in the back yard.
Foods have their seasons…but nowadays, when the miracle of rapid transit delivers them to every corner all year long, they’ve become an everyday, any old day commodity ….yet, like waiting for Santa, I still find joy in the anticipation of that first jewel-toned strawberry, the sticky chin juice of a peach or the nectar of a melon harvested within 30 miles of my door. So I wait. The snap of an asparagus that says, “It’s Spring right here…right now!” Corn on the cob on the 4th of July. Apples that arrive with your sweater. So I wait again. For the moment and the memories.
And of course, for making new memories each week at the Market…and I’m hoping you’ll be a part of them. I can’t wait.
And there will be MUSIC! This weekend we jam to Shine, aka Jimmy Shoe and…, aka the Dope Pinheads… . C’mon, you’ll only know if you show!
P.S.: We’re actively looking for some younger bodies to join our team…primarily we need help with setting up (7:45 a.m.) and/or take down (1:00 p.m.) As with everything in Lansdowne, the Market runs on volunteers. Or it won’t run at all.
Let the games begin!
Terry Baraldi