Andie Balenger | Daily Press Market-goers chat with local vendors at the Escanaba Farmers Market, located at 1501 Ludington St. in Escanaba. This year’s growing season has been tumultuous for local farmers, with weather conditions being great up until the end of June. The intense heat and lack of rainfall in the last month has led to less than favorable harvest conditions, although some produce, like peppers and tomatoes, thrive is the warm environment.

Andie Balenger | Daily Press
Gladstone Farmers Market manager Patricia West, left, hands out free “Gladstone Farmers Market” canvas bags to all market-goers. With each passing week of the summer season, the variety of produce being harvested and sold by local farmers continues to grow. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, local artists sell their intricate glass and woodwork at local markets as well.

ESCANABA — While the growing season is still underway for local farmers, plenty of their hard work has already come to fruition. Scattered throughout the area, local farmers markets have been home to the sale of fresh fruits, veggies, and other commodities on a weekly basis. Community members seeking handmade crafts, unique items, or just an alternative to supermarket produce should look no further than the local markets, which also act as an engaging social event for all.

“It is a little community … they all really care for each other, watch each other’s booths, and there is just a really great camaraderie that comes with the market,” Patricia West, Gladstone Farmers Market manager, said. “For the community, this is just something that people can look forward to every week.”

Farmers markets are public events that allow local farmers to collectively gather and deliver products directly to their consumers, cutting out any loss of profit that comes with the packing and shipping that would typically accompany this transaction. Not only do these events showcase the importance of agriculture and farming practices in our localized economy, but they also encourage personal connections between farmers, community members, and local businesses.

“[The market] has gotten bigger each year,” Judy Schroeder, Escanaba Farmers Market manager, said. “I don’t turn anybody away. As long as it is handmade or locally grown, those are our rules.”

Dan Doyen, co-owner of Seven Acre Garden and Gifts in Escanaba, hosts a booth at the Escanaba Farmers Market every week. With the amount of ready produce increasing as of late — Doyen offers eggplants, cucumbers, and herbs — the number of people visiting the market has increased as well.

“In the last few weeks we have had good turnout, especially with the warmer weather in July,” Doyen said.

This year’s growing season had a great start up until the middle of June, when lack of rainfall and increased temperature lead to less than desirable harvest conditions. Limited amounts of rain can cause several issues with produce, from crops not reaching their maximum size to vegetables having tougher skins. For instance, onions may have extra skins growing inside of their outer shell and radishes may split.

“Produce has been moving slow, but the weeds sure like to grow,” Doyen said. “We need rain. The warm weather has been great, but we just need some moisture.”

However, some crops thrive in environments that lack a bountiful water supply. Ironically, watermelons have been an extremely successful crop for farmers this year. Since it is a desert plant, watermelons thrive in hot and dry environments, requiring little to no water in order to survive. According to Doyen, pepper plants and tomatos have been “loving” the warm weather as well.

“The season started off somewhat slow and in May we didn’t have a ton of produce. But in June things really started to pick up and we have a ton of vendors expressing interest, which has been really exciting,” West said. “It has been fun to see how the market changes throughout the season.”

Despite the slow start, the Gladstone market has been maxing out it’s vendor slots since late June. The market currently averages 18 to 20 vendors a week, with 20 being the maximum number accepted for a single market. With everything from fresh berries to wood carvings, homemade cinnamon rolls to handcrafted lawn ornaments, vendors come prepared with homemade signs to advertise their goods. While customers trickle in and out of Farmers Market Square in Gladstone during its three hours of operation, most people turn out as soon as it opens.

“We currently have a lot of offerings, so this is the time to come,” West said. “Things are really starting to pick up in terms of the offerings that we have.”

The Gladstone Farmers Market is unique in that it also provides live music from time to time. Local bands and soloists are a drawing attraction for the average passerby, and the music helps set a relaxed tone for market-goers as they peruse the products laid out before them. Scheduled music is more concentrated in both July and August, with limited performances as the weather cools in September and October.

The Escanaba Farmers Market has been busy as well. While the number of vendors vary, they have recently hit a record high of 25 for the season. With fresh vegetables being offered more regularly as of late, Schroeder encourages those who have been asking about produce to come and check the market out.

“The vegetables are just starting to come in, and it has been pretty busy,” Schroeder said. “Cabbage, snap pears, cucumbers, radishes, green onions, zucchini … we have got just about everything.”

Both of the Gladstone and Escanaba Farmers Markets accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for those looking to purchase produce. Additionally, the Gladstone Farmers Market has recently welcomed the Prescription for Health program. Individuals with either health or financial problems can enroll through their primary doctor and will be sent vouchers each month to help them purchase produce at the market.

Overall, farmers markets are a communal experience that unites locals behind the common goal of supporting small farms and businesses in the area. With vendors traveling from various locations across the U.P. to set up their booths, market-goers are bound to find something new with every visit.

“I really hope that if people haven’t been here, they give it a shot. I think they will be pleasantly surprised,” West said. “My biggest goal [with the market] is to offer something that gets people out into the community.”

The Gladstone Farmers Market, located at 911 Delta Ave. in Gladstone, is open every Monday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Escanaba Farmers Market, located at 1501 Ludington St. in Escanaba, is open every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Both markets will run through the end of October.