Market in the Valley

Sunday the 24th at the Market

Summer at the market is a wonderful time, but have you ever considered how much effort goes into bringing all of your favorite foods to market? We’ve only just begun to reap the benefits of this year’s planning and preparation. This is the time of year when local farmers are getting their hands dirty and putting in extra hours to ensure a successful harvest.

From early morning planting sessions to late night harvests, our farmers work tirelessly to bring us the freshest fruits and vegetables possible. But they can’t do it alone. They rely on supportive communities, like the one found here at the market, to create a thriving agricultural ecosystem.

So, the next time you’re enjoying your favorite summertime snack, take a moment to think about all of the hard work that went into making it possible. And remember, when you support your local farmers, you’re supporting your entire community.

Planning crops and crop schedule

An important aspect of being a farmer is selecting what to grow. Months ahead of time, plans are made to ensure that enough crops will be available throughout the season. A crop calendar is established to show when planting should start and when harvest may be expected.

Plant crops

Planting begins as soon as the timetable is set, assuming mother nature cooperates. Planting might take over weeks or even months, depending on how many items are produced and how much space is available to work with. Not only must the crops be planted, but they must also be fertilized in order for them to produce the maximum yield.

Tending and maintaining crops

Crop maintenance is essential to making sure that farmers (or farm hands) can get their crops off safely, and it doesn’t miss any problems. This may be done through either visual inspections or poking around underneath leaves with tools such as sticks for early detection before diseases have a chance of spreading throughout an entire field, which would impact all subsequent harvest yields if left unchecked.

Harvesting crops

There are many factors that affect the harvesting process, but one thing remains constant – it must be done quickly once ripe. Some veggies like tomatoes and peppers need quick access to markets or else they’ll spoil before reaching their peak flavor; therefore these products can only be harvested when red in color (or nearly so). Root crops such as potatoes on the other hand can be harvested much earlier and then stored in a cool, dark place until ready to be sold.

Once the crops are harvested, they need to be transported to the market as soon as possible to avoid any deterioration in quality. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables that bruise easily.

Cleaning and prepping for sale at market

After the products have been harvested, it’s time to prepare them for sale. This is another phase that varies from one product to the next. When selling fresh fruits, it is crucial that they appear as attractive as possible since this will enhance its overall look and guarantee sales. Because dirt and other flaws can affect the quality and/or shelf life of fruits, they must be washed thoroughly and carefully. After being examined for bruising or other damage, they are ready for sale.

Day at the market, selling and delivering.

Since fresh food is perishable, all of these variables must be considered and integrated in such a manner as to provide as much as possible each week. Fresh markets also have a greater probability of having weekly returning customers, who like to buy specific crops because they know how fresh the ingredients are at that market.

As you can see, there is a tremendous amount of effort that goes into being a farmer. These farmers are in the business of growing, harvesting, cleaning, and delivering fresh produce to you every week. It only takes a few minutes for you to purchase them, but it’s taken many hours for these hard-working people to make your food as amazing as it is.

Take time to tell them “thank you” for their hard work every time you buy from them.

How to get to the Farmers Market in Golden Valley

For those of you that have never been to Market in the Valley, the Farmers Market is in the parking lot just under the Water Tower in Golden Valley located at 7800 Golden Valley Road, MN 55427. Just North of Highway 55, East of Winnetka and West of Rhode Island

Parking is limited, so consider carpooling or if you are local, gather up the family and walk on down.

Vendors at the Market this Week

Here’s a list of the businesses at the market:

2JCK Organic Produce

Autumn Harvest Ojibwe Wild Rice

Bao Yang Vegetables

Beck’s Elk River Greenhouse LLC

Caribbean Heat

Cheryl’s Nut Butters

Cindy Lou’s Jam & Plants

Crepe & Cake

Early Boots Farm

Great Harvest Bread Co.

Heaven Scent Soaps

Lor Produce

Miz Mollys Closet LLC

Norwex

Pampered Chef

Poplolli: Pastry and Confections

PRISM

R & R Cultivation

Renewal by Andersen – Twin Cities

Rusch Farms

Schyma’s Pickles & Preserves

Svihel Vegetable Farm

Totally Twisted

Weaving and Turning

Wisconsin Cheese Outlet

Yang’s Fresh Flowers and Produce

Lake of Fire Foods

Atacama Catering

Three Rivers Farm – Kettle Corn

Young Living Essential Oils

Euponia

Catastrophe Goods

The Farm of Minnesota

Kinney Mini Farms

AK’s Homemade Treats

MN Fresh Fuel

Wonder Paper Art

JM Bistro

Josef Able Meats

Master Gardeners

One Love Yoga

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

City of Golden Valley sustainability

The Blutopians

Joel and Nora

Partners with Ethiopia

Vanlice Lemonade

Star Tribune

Grand Marais Pottery

Good Morgan Foods