I admit it. As a Midwestern male, shopping typically comes in two varieties – an act of patient spousal endurance, while surfing baseball scores on my cell phone, or the all-out assault where buying a gift becomes the equivalent of taking a fortified hill.
But there is newfound hope for my conversion to recreational shopping. Spring has ushered in the return of farmers markets to center city, and with it, promises of tastes, sights and sounds for everyone, even the heretofore unenlightened.
Buying localThe opportunity to meet and chat with the farmer who has planted, weeded, harvested, transported and thoughtfully merchandised his product is profoundly different than an impersonal purchase at a grocery chain. It allows me to ask questions: “How has this spring’s lack of rain affected your crops? … What will you have coming into season in the next few weeks? … What goes well with rutabagas?”
As a fan of the underdog, it’s also gratifying to know that my purchase helps local families who preserve the Ozarks’ agrarian heritage.
Sense of placeOn a few recent trips to urban farmers markets, I was reminded how communities embrace their markets. I saw firsthand the vibrancy at Soulard Market in St. Louis; Capitol Market in Charleston, W. Va.; Penn Quarter Market in Washington, D.C.; Central Market in Lancaster, Pa.; River Market in Kansas City; and Dane County Farmers Market in Madison, Wis.
Similar to Artsfest or Cider Days, outings transcend the acquisition of goods and services to become social experiences – watching people, meeting friends, listening to music, walking dogs, drinking coffee and riding bikes.
An authentic and lively setting becomes magnetic to people of all ages.
In Springfield, the Friday Night Farmers Market has been moved to Park Central East this year to accommodate more vendors, allow for local bluegrass and acoustic performances, feature downtown chefs and foster interaction with the four sidewalk cafés and two theater venues. It is designed to be a Friday night street festival May–October.
The C-Street Market returns to the Footbridge Plaza on Saturday mornings and early afternoons.
Its location offers a great opportunity to walk across the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge, watch the trains, get a cup of coffee at Big Momma’s, shop at the C-Street stores or go to Pizza House for lunch.
Open for everyoneNot only do urban markets attract people of all ages but also those from all walks of life through proximity to more dense housing areas and public transportation. The Urban Districts Alliance received new grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Missouri Department of Agriculture to have a wireless electronic benefit transfer and debit card reader at the downtown and C-Street markets each week. This will allow those in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to purchase eligible goods for their families. Currently, less than 1 percent of all grocery purchases are made at farmers markets.
Springfield residents often lament, “There aren’t enough things to do.” That certainly won’t be the case with the expanded center city farmers markets this summer. Support a local farmer. Stroll with friends or your significant other. Shop for the fun of it.
Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, can be reached at rusty@itsalldowntown.com.[[In-content Ad]]
