MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Farmers Market is in full swing once again, offering the freshest fruits, vegetables, cheeses and more for its 22nd year.
Patrons who stop by the Indiana Street Municipal Lot every Monday, from 2 to 7 p.m., throughout the summer and fall will have the chance to check out six vendors selling a wide variety of produce in addition to other unique items such as specially made pickles, gourmet olive oil and delicious prepared meals. As an added bonus, the market is giving away free insulated bags to shoppers while supplies last. And near the end of the season, which runs through Nov. 21, Chef Paolo Vieira of Paolo’s Kitchen will lead a cooking demonstration using only ingredients sold at the stands.
In other words, according to Cesar Correa, Maplewood’s assistant business administrator, the farmers market provides an experience shoppers will not find anywhere else.
“Shopping at the Maplewood Farmers Market is different from a regular trip to the supermarket,” Correa, who manages the market, told the News-Record in a June 23 email. “Residents can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables that were harvested earlier that same day. The outdoor setting of the market allows shoppers to enjoy fresh air and beautiful sunny weather.”
Many residents and outside customers have indeed taken advantage of the farmers market’s ideal shopping experience. Correa said approximately 350 to 500 people visit weekly. And that is a good thing for Maplewood as a whole, he said, because the market’s location in the heart of Springfield Avenue encourages patrons to explore the rest of the township’s “vibrant and diverse community.”
Of course, the vendors who participate in the Maplewood Farmers Market also benefit from this influx of business. As one of the first businesses to take part in the township’s market, Kurt Alstede said his Alstede Farms has developed longtime relationships with his Maplewood customers through the years. In fact, Alstede said some shoppers even visit his farm in Chester or stop by his stand at nearby farmers markets whenever Maplewood’s market is closed.
And Alstede said he is always willing to talk with his customers, whether at the market or on the phone. That way, he said patrons can ask about what products he sells or how he harvests his crops. Such accessibility cannot be found with the companies that provide food to grocery stores, he pointed out.
“I always joke with customers that the only entities higher than me are my wife and God,” Alstede said in a June 27 phone interview. “So they can go right to the top. And you can’t call Dole Bananas, for instance, and talk to Mr. Dole.”
Alstede said he respects Maplewood for offering an opportunity for farmers like himself to sell their products. He explained that it is important to support local farmers because not only do they supply fresh produce, they also preserve open space while still paying taxes and hiring local employees. He said Alstede Farms alone employees more than 200 people, including 70 high school and college students. Farming benefits the economy as well; according to Choose New Jersey, the state’s 10,300 farms brought in $1.12 billion in revenue last year.
Maplewood residents should also appreciate the fact that they have a farmers market, Alstede said, explaining that it gives them access to fresh produce when none would be readily available otherwise. “Fresh” is no overstatement — he said he picks his fruits and vegetables the morning of the market and brings them less a little more than 30 miles from Chester. That is compared to the seven to 14 days that can pass between the time fruit and vegetables are picked and sold in supermarkets, according to the Farmers Market Coalition. Some products travel an average of 1,200 miles to reach stores, the coalition reports.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, products including apples can even be kept in cold storage for up to 10 months before being sold in stores, with fruit companies also spraying a gaseous compound called 1-methylcyclopropene to extend post-storage quality.
Another reason Alstede said Maplewood residents should take advantage of the market is the wide variety of foods they will find there. He said Alstede Farms offers dozens of fruit from apples to peaches to cherries as well as every vegetable, from “asparagus to zucchini.” Additionally, he said his stand sells several different varieties of each fruit or vegetable, so consumers can choose between cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes and more.
Considering that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating one and a half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables daily — though a 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control shows only 13 percent and less than 9 percent, respectively, actually eat those amounts — Alstede said everyone should eat as much produce as possible. And he said the farmers market is a great place to stock up.
“There’s access to things that you’re just not going to find at a grocery store,” Alstede said, adding that his inventory also includes baked goods, honey, apple cider and flowers. “That’s the value. There’s so much more that’s available.”
Hoboken Farms also has a lot to offer at the Maplewood Farmers Market. Specifically, owner Brad Finkel said his stand features daily-made mozzarella, fresh breads and his popular pasta sauces. But if that is not enough to attract patrons, Finkel encouraged market newcomers to simply experience the farmers market’s unique communal environment. In today’s digital world, he said the market is a rare opportunity to rub shoulders with your neighbors and reacquaint with friends.
Finkel himself can testify to the camaraderie of the Maplewood market. He recalled being present on the last day of the first season 22 years ago, when rain kept away many of the usual customers. But instead of being upset, he said the vendors used their ingredients to make sandwiches for one another, thereby creating friendships that last to this day.
“I remember driving home saying ‘Wow, I can’t imagine a better way to earn a living than what I’m part of,’” Finkel told the News-Record in a June 23 phone interview.
Though Hoboken Farms now sells its sauces in select stores and has even opened its own sandwich shop in Summit, Finkel said farmers markets remain the core source of revenue for his business. Consequently, he is grateful to the Maplewood residents who have remained loyal frequenters of his stand for the past two decades.
And as the Maplewood Farmers Market enters its 22nd year, Finkel said he hopes even more people will take advantage of everything the tradition has to offer.
“You’re going to pay the farmer or you’re going to pay the doctor — you decide,” Finkel said. “Ultimately, you’re going to be getting pleasure because of the quality of the food. You’re going to be getting long-term health for the quality of the food. You’re going to be supporting the business of your neighbors. I can’t think of a reason not to (try the market).”
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