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Outdoor farmers’ markets near end of season

Haley Gustafson | Daily Press Doris Fox, of Foxy’s Fabulous Pies and Cheesecakes, shows off some mini pies at the Gladstone Farmers’ Market in Gladstone Monday. The market, which features fresh vegetables, baked goods and crafts, will be closing for the season at the end of the month.

Haley Gustafson | Daily Press  Doris Fox, of Foxy's Fabulous Pies and Cheesecakes, shows off some mini pies at the Gladstone Farmers' Market in Gladstone Monday. The market, which features fresh vegetables, baked goods and crafts, will be closing for the season at the end of the month. Haley Gustafson | Daily Press Shoppers check out the Gladstone Farmer's Market Monday in Gladstone.

Haley Gustafson | Daily Press  Jim Gorzinski, left, and Donna McMahon showcase some of their produce during the Gladstone Farmer's Market in Gladstone Monday. The market, which features fresh vegetables, baked goods and crafts, will be closing for the season at the end of the month. GLADSTONE — Farmers’ markets around the area are nearing the end of their outdoor seasons. The local markets, which offer fresh vegetables, baked goods, crafts and much more, allow residents and visitors alike to purchase home-crafted items.

According to Kathy Paul, Gladstone’s farmers’ market manager, the season has been wonderful.

“I think we’ve had a real successful year,” said Paul.

Over the course of the summer, Paul explained the market, located in the Gladstone Square, has featured an average of 14 vendors every Monday.

Earlier in the season, Paul noted musical entertainment was also offered at the market with musical styles including country and western and acoustic.

Items featured at the market include fresh-baked bread, pies, fresh-from-the-farm vegetables, handmade wooden cribbage boards, pumpkins and more.

Paul noted the beginning of the market season was a little tough for some of the vendors as heavy rainfall impacted crop production negatively.

“The rainfall was troublesome at first,” said Paul, adding as the market comes to a close, there is more of a variety for vegetables, such as squash and cucumbers, than earlier in the year because crops have been able to grow.

One vendor, Dottie Sydor, said she had to replant her cucumbers due to the copious amounts of rain. Sydor explained her first crop rotted and was unsuccessful, but now the weather has improved she was able to bring some for the remainder of the market season. Sydor brings her farm fresh produce and grass fed meats to the market from Wilson Creek Farms.

The best seller at the Gladstone market was the whitefish, said Paul. The “fish man” as he came to be known, would catch whitefish in Garden and bring it to Gladstone, and according to Paul, the fish became one of the most popular items because it “doesn’t get much fresher.”

The Gladstone farmer’s market will remain open until the end of the month, noted Paul.

Other markets around the area include Escanaba farmer’s market, Rapid River, Hannahville, and Isabella.

Escanaba, which moved to its new location at the Escanaba Marketplace on 1500 Ludington St., features over 26 vendors with vegetables, baked goods, crafts, farm eggs and more.

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