This Saturday, May 8, the Platte City Farmer’s Market will kick off its 2021 season of serving the local area with home-grown, fresh and healthy food.
The market will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Saturday morning in the Running Horse Home and Farm parking lot.
There will be from six to 10 vendors every Saturday morning throughout the summer.
“Even during the pandemic we were authorized as essential due to the dire need some were experiencing with food insecurity when it became a very real issue to some,” local farmer and vendor, Adam Jennings said.
The market tries to maintain a diversity of goods throughout the season. Some of the items that will be offered are baked goods, local honey, salsa, pickles, jam, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, fresh shrimp and maybe even some red tomatoes.
“Long-time vendors are Jellies Jams and Pickling, fruit produce, eggs and baked goods,” Jennings said. “We also have a vendor with live shrimp as well as honey and hopefully, flowers. We have one new vendor this year who will offer honey, the rest all make up vendors from years past,” Jennings said.
Jennings has been a vendor for three years. He grows fruits and vegetables and offers honey and eggs. He raises livestock also.
He believes anything that is fresh and locally grown has to be more nutritionally dense than other food products.
“It has to be better than something that was transported from who knows where, by who knows who, with what kind of practices,” Jennings said. “I mean if it’s not good enough for a bug to eat it why would you want to? Not to mention at the market you get to know the farmer that personally has a vested interest in your health. We have long-time customers, we know their names and families. I sell what my family eats, as well, it’s the same food on your plate as it is mine. Oh gosh, I could go on forever. As you can imagine, the best part is the customers and hearing what they say directly to you the next weekend and sometimes you don’t like what they say, but it’s OK. What we sell doesn’t have to fit everyone.”
Jennings has a small, homestead/farm so most things he and his family eat, especially while things are in season, come from home.
On most Saturdays, Jennings sees the farmer’s market vendors either selling out completely, or nearly selling out.
As far as getting ideas at the market for tasty and interesting things to cook, he says the possibilities are endless.
For food lovers who want the best ingredients and taste, Jennings said the only other place that can offer the market’s healthy and delicious choices would be your own personal garden. For those who don’t have a garden of their own, the Platte City Farmer’s Market aims to ensure that families have access to good, nutritious food every week.