New Jersey is the Garden State and, at this time of year, it really begins to live up to its name. Especially if you shop for your vegetables at one of the many farmers markets around Verona. Farmers markets are open rain or shine and operate mostly on cash, although some vendors can take credit cards. WIC and Senior FMNP vouchers are also accepted at some stands.
The Bloomfield Farmers Market is held where Bloomfield Avenue intersects State and Liberty Streets on Thursdays from 1 to 7 p.m. through October 28. There’s a guy there who had amazing dried cherries last season.
The Caldwell Farmers Market is now entering its second season. It is located in the municipal parking lot behind the Caldwell Cinema between Smull and Personette avenues. The market is open every through the last week of October from 2 to 7 p.m. Vendors in Caldwell include the fabulous cheese makers of Valley Shepherd Creamery (my favorites are Fairmount and Shepherd’s Basket) and Snoep Winkle Farm (great eggs and pasture-raised meat). On Friday, July 2, there will be live music from 2 to 4 p.m. and a cooking demonstration from 4 to 7 p.m. You can keep up on other events by check the Caldwell market’s blog page.
On Tuesdays, try the Millburn Farmers’ Market, located in the municipal parking lot at Main and Essex streets. It is open every Tuesday through October 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Montclair Farmers Market is also an all-day affair. It runs on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and has the longest season of all the markets in our area, ending November 20. My family is eagerly awaiting the first plums from Tree-Licious and the corn from Vacchiano Farms. We also buy the honey from Tassot Apiaries and clams from the fish stand. And while Stefan & Sons Meats is not a farmer, it is a local business and it makes killer kielbasa and pirogi that go with just about every vegetable.
And finally, there’s the West Orange Farmers Market. It is behind the West Orange Town Hall on Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. through November 19.
You can get directions to any of these markets by clicking on the map below. And if you’re traveling outside our part of Essex County, you can get a full list of all the farmers markets in New Jersey from the state’s Jersey Fresh Web site.[mappress]
