Quality fruit at Farmer's Market

Vegetables and fruit and breads, oh my! These foods and more can be found at the local Farmer's Market, located on 33rd and Greenmount, approximately five blocks directly past Royal Farms. There, every Saturday and Sunday morning, from nine to noon, regardless of the weather, locals flock to purchase everything from sun-dried tomato bread to fresh tomatoes, from marmalade to cups of piping hot chai tea.

Local farmers and food vendors set up stalls in the usually empty parking lot early, and by nine o'clock, the joint is jumping. People barter for bouquets and house plants, munch on the fresh Indian potatoes patties they just purchased, sip coffee from a nearby stand, and survey the fresh produce laid out on stall after stall. At one stand, quiche and fresh mozzarella cheese wrapped in herbs are displayed alongside smoked fish. At another stand there are spring rolls and Chinese food, possibly followed a little ways off by barbecue chicken and beef.

Most students who manage to get up at such an early hour and drag their tired bodies six whole blocks find it an enjoyable and rewarding time. Freshman Shirley Chen said that although she wished the market was a little bigger, she would definitely return, and in fact plans to next Saturday.

"It is so convenient and close, and has a such a pleasant, country, friendly atmosphere - almost like a fair," said Chen.

She also enjoyed that you could have a taste of a new cuisine and see if you liked it without making the financial investment of a nice dinner: a morsel could be obtained, not a whole meal. Other students were surprised by the abundance and variety of both foods and produced available.

Freshman Alex Foreman said "I did not know that Maryland provided such a variety of produce, or that there were enough farmers in the surrounding area to fill out the ranks of a farmers' market."

Vegetables included most found in an ordinary grocery store, such as green beans, peppers, broccoli, and cucumbers. Fruits were likewise available, including peaches, plums, bananas and apples.

However, the quality and quantity of the foodstuffs was not the only reward. Prices, which varied little from stall to stall, were a good deal below those normally charged in a grocery store such as Giant. Roughly two pounds of tomatoes were $1.50 at the market, while local stores have them at $3.38. A package of grape tomatoes can be found at the supermarket for $2.49, while at the market, they are as low as $1.25. Green beans were a dollar cheaper, red peppers $5 cheaper, if you are willing to purchase those of lower quality available in the market. A buttery baguette can be found for only a dollar, as compared to the supermarket of price of $2 or more. The market provides a more frugal option for those economical fresh-produce lovers.

The market, open for 15 years, has gradually become a regular part of the Baltimore community.

Said freshman Courtney Couper: "It brings college students together with those on Waverly and on Greenmount."

It has matured into a mixing space for those groups who usually remain as separated as oil and vinegar. Yet there are other things around the Farmer's Market to see, other then the main attraction. On the way to the market there is a small Indian convenience store which sells delicious ethnic deserts. On the street directly after the market, cheep clothing stores, interesting thrift store and other establishments can be found. So next Saturday, wake up a little early, maybe 1 a.m. or so, and stroll over to a part of Baltimore that is not N. Charles, or St. Paul, but rather an area waiting to be explored. You may want to bring someone along to hold all the bags.