Community Corner
Opening Day Farmers' Market Crowd Grows
The on-and-off drizzle could not keep people away from the Burlington County Community Agricultural Center's farmers' market in Moorestown.
Now in its fifth year, the Burlington County's farmers' market kicked off a new season Saturday in Moorestown.
The market, located at the Burlington County Community Agricultural Center at 500 Centerton Rd., will provide fresh produce and other goodies every Saturday through October.
Mary Pat Robbie, director of the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation, said she was pleased with the first-day turnout. The intermittent rain and the limited produce—because it's so early in New Jersey's farming season—did not keep people away.
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Robbie also is happy with the Burlington County Community Agricultural Center's farmers' market's first four years of growth.
“It's become a very community-oriented, social thing for people who come here all the time and get to know each other," she said.
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“The choices are a little limited because it's early in the season. We don't have tomatoes, we don't have corn, we don't have eggplant, but the farmers have all been featuring a lot of small tomato plants, herbs and plant-your-own and we have seen a lot of radishes, leeks, asparagus and strawberries.”
Most of the vendors stay for the entire May to October season and attendees look forward to fresh produce grown in South Jersey.
Joan Reuter of Chesterfield, NJ, said she comes to the farmers' market each year for the fresh produce.
“We waited all year for this,” she said. “We come for the fresh lemonade and all the fresh pies.”
Jill Reuter comes from Edgewater Park has freshness on her mind when she drives to the market. “We come for the fresh eggs, pies...anything that is fresh,” she said.
Marti and Carlo Panera sold freshly squeezed lemonade at the farmers' market for their son Aldo Panera's “Made in the Shade” lemonade store in Millville, NJ. The couple squeezed more than 100 cups of lemonade Saturday.
“We are very pleased with the turnout and it's even a little better than last year,” Marti noted.
Vendor Kristin DeWitt of Jersey Girl Candles (And Soaps!) in Vincentown called the turnout good for opening day.
"I've seen it more crowded, but maybe because of the weather and people not knowing about it (the farmers' market) yet," DeWitt said.
The Burlington County Community Agricultural Center's farmers' market at 500 Centerton Rd., Moorestown, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through October. For more information, visit the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders website at co.burlington.nj.us.
