Despite a downpour, shoppers were still out in droves, wielding umbrellas and taking home fresh food at the 5thAvenue Farmers Market in Naperville.
“Rain or shine, it could be pouring, as it is today, and our vendors are here at 5 a.m. setting up, we’re ready to sell at 6:30 and we go through noon,” said organizer Annamarie Bensfield.
Over two-dozen vendors carrying everything from flowers, to fruit to even homemade breakfast sausage sliders flock to the market every week, priding themselves on natural, organic quality.
Just like PEEP, INC., a Dixon-based pork and chicken farm, which made the switch over eight years ago to cut out all of the chemicals and go fully organic.
“We feel like what we’re doing is better for the land, better for the animals because they’re out free and a better product for the consumer,” said PEEP, INC. owner Norm Koster. “We feel like that we’re selling the consumer clean food.”
The fresh, farm-to-table feel of the products enhances the experience for some vendors, who feel they can be totally honest about how they make their merchandise and build relationships with their customers.
“We’re very straightforward about what we do. You can also come to the farm; we’re very open about how we do things,” said Amanda Finnestad of Drover’s Trail Natural Farms. “I like personal connection, because I’ve personally gone through things in my life where the ferments have helped – clean eating, eating their kinds of foods, the meats, the chicken.”
The farmers market also tries to make itself a full family event, complete with chairs to sit down and eat on a nicer day as well as live music from local artists.
Rain or shine, the market will go on every weekend through the end of October, with a corn fest with free roasted corn, competitions and prizes in store for just next week.
Naperville News 17’s Peter Medlin reports in the rain.
