By Riley Fagan, Lawrenceville Farmers Market
As the weather begins to cool down, farmers market season is sweeter than ever. The Lawrenceville Farmers Market takes place every Tuesday evening from 3-7pm at Bay 41, 115 41st Street, through November 25. Customers can shop with over 20 local vendors each week. Vendors include farmers, chefs, beekeepers, brewers, baristas, bakers and more. Customers walk, bike, bus, and drive to the Central Lawrenceville event space from all over the city each week to shop for baked goods, pantry staples, flowers, beverages, and locally grown fruits and vegetables.
When asked why they chose to shop at the LFM, regular customers Grant and Yeunhee said, “We like interacting with all of the vendors, they’re all very lovely people. We love fresh produce, you can’t beat it. And it’s fun for the kids, this is our activity and dinner plan every Tuesday. We also like to support the local businesses, it’s a very important part of being in community.”
Many customers enjoy grabbing dinner and even dessert at the evening market before or after shopping. Each week, several prepared food vendors set up a temporary kitchen under a tent to provide homemade meals to shoppers. Stalwart vendors Istanbul Grille and Mexa vend at the LFM every week. “Being here is always a pleasure, seeing our regulars is the highlight of our week,” says Brenda Garcia, one half of the mother-daughter duo who owns and operates the Mexican street food stand, Mexa. “Almost everything we make is from the market, even the salsas, the tomatillos are from here. So everyone’s getting good, quality food.”
Thanks to Just Harvest, with funding from the City of Pittsburgh’s Food Justice Fund, the LFM is matching SNAP benefits for the second year in a row. SNAP users can swipe their EBT card at the Info Booth at the front of the market to receive double the amount in tokens and Food Bucks to spend. The LFM is committed to increasing food access, growing local agricultural businesses for long-term sustainability, and providing a vibrant resource for the Lawrenceville community. The Farmers Market is a program of Lawrenceville United; an inclusive, resident-driven, non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of life for all Lawrenceville residents. For more information, check out the LFM website:
http://www.lunited.org/programs/lawrenceville-farmers-market/.