As the popularity for organic food continues to rise, so parallels the focus on locally grown produce; particularly for the town of Old Greenbelt.
Sunday mornings, residents of Greenbelt and surrounding communities gather for the Greenbelt Farmers Market, located on the west parking lot at Roosevelt Center. Each week, all are welcome to partake in the event. Whether an attendee, volunteer or vendor; each person who attends is able to make a personal connection with area farmers and small business owners. It is evident that the Greenbelt Farmers Market is an opportunity to hand pick farm-fresh produce; however, to the neighbors and individuals invested in the market, it is a place for community building.
Market regular, Anna Socrates believes that having the market in Greenbelt is a great opportunity. She says, "It brings people to Roosevelt Center, and it is a great chance to see and visit with friends and neighbors. It is more of an event then just a produce market."
Rain or shine, the market operates as a support mechanism; an opportunity to patronize and build relationships. June Matics attends the Greenbelt Farmers Market opposed to the traditional grocery store chains.
"I feel like the food I get at the farmer's market is better: better looking, better quality, better variety, and better nutrition. I can get seasonal, delicious food that hasn't be stored in a warehouse a zillion miles away and preserved with who-knows-what," said Matics. The fun part, she says, is "the process of walking through the Farmer's market itself and checking out everything and everyone."
This Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., approximately 20 vendors will serve the best of what the season has to offer: produce, pasture-raised meats, sustainable seafood, soaps, herbal vinegars, ice cream, breads and baked goods, flowers, bedding plants, vegetable and herb plant starts, honey, coffee and goat cheeses.
Socrates recommends a visit to the ice-cream vendor offering pumpkin-flavored ice cream made from the pumpkins sold the Shlagel Farms vendor, while Lilah Haxton recommends the peaches this time of year.
Patron, Jennifer Errick said she gets excited every time she attends the market.
"I'm psyched to cook all week with the great stuff I get there."
