The Market

The beloved farmers market is a hotspot in Libertyville during the summer and fall seasons. Every year farmers and bakers set up their booths full of fresh produce and pastries in Cook Park. This year, the farmers market celebrates 42 years of selling delicious food right in the center of town. 

The market began in an effort to not only bring people into town to drive small businesses’ income, but also to support local farmers who were seeking places to sell their crops. At the farmers market you can find just about any food item. Baked goods, fruits and vegetables, cheeses, crab cakes, honey products, and even dog treats. Those who have been a part of the market in previous years are always welcomed back, but Al Scott, the manager of the farmer’s market, encourages new vendors to participate as well. 

“We try to have as much variety as possible,” stated Scott.

The broad selection of goods sold in the market is what makes Libertyville stand out. 

“I always try to bring unique things that we don’t already have at our market,” said Scott. 

“If I ever get an application from someone that’s making a food product that we don’t already have, that’s great.”

The farmers market is important to both farmers and small business owners. Many farmers drive from as far as south Michigan to sell their products in Cook Park. Small businesses, who rely on a steady influx of shoppers, find people are more likely to stop in and shop around when they are visiting the market.

Sustainability

Another plus of shopping in the farmers market is the sustainability factor. The practice of bringing reusable bags with you as well as the reduced waste in market packaging is a great way to cut down your ecological footprint. 

Buying from local farmers also minimizes the amount of pollution created. Many farmers use organic growing practices, minimizing the use of chemicals and pesticides polluting the environment. 

It’s important to be aware of what we put in our bodies.

The direct contact between food producer and consumer ensures you know exactly where your food comes from, making local markets an ethical choice for shoppers.

Health Benefits

Shopping at the farmers market is not only good for the environment, but good for you. At the farmers market you aren’t buying food that has sat on a shelf for several days, or injected with hormones to enhance its taste. 

Fresh vegetables are filled with a variety of antioxidants and phytonutrients, both incredibly nourishing and beneficial for your health. Nutrient-rich, home grown produce also lacks dangerous pesticides that pose a danger to you and your family’s health. Farmers markets also allow access to seasonal foods. 

Eating produce organically rather than produce that is plastic packaged and picked before it’s ready is much better for you. 

Local Economy

Affordable and economically valuable. Farmers markets are generally cheaper than grocery stores due to the absence of long travel and processing. 

The Libertyville farmers market specifically allows for weekly shopping trips due to its weekly occurrence every Thursday from 7 a.m to 1 p.m. When food is produced and distributed locally, the money stays local, benefiting the community as a whole.

COVID- 19

During the 2020 farmers market season, extra precautions and regulations were placed on market vendors and on the event itself. These regulations included: required mask wearing at all times throughout the market, and maintained 6ft of distance between each passerby out shopping. 

In 2020, the market couldn’ t reopen until nearly August due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases. During the summer of 2021, the market was open from June to October with reduced regulations. 

It is predicted that this summer there will be little to no covid regulations, but it has not yet been decided. 

LHS Community

The market continues to be just as important to the Libertyville community as it is to the vendors, especially to LHS students, one being Sophomore Sophia DeBruler, who enjoys the market every year.

“I’ve visited the market since I can remember. I’ve been going every year,” said DeBruler.

“The highlights were going when it’s warm. I like [the farmers market] because everyone’s usually really friendly,” recounted DeBruler.

Another unique feature of Libertyville’s farmers market is its easy location.

“I think it’s really cool that Libertyville has a market and I can walk there from my house. It’s really convenient, and it’s a good way to pass time in the summer,” DeBruler explained.

The location being at the center of town is also chance enough to meet up accidentally with someone you know.

“You always see people you know, which is nice, especially in summer when you don’t see people as much as at school,” said DeBruler.

Another LHS student who values the farmers market is Junior Lauren Koot. Koot, who didn’t grow up in town, recently began visiting the market just two years ago. Upon first impression of the market, Koot only gave a positive appraisal.

“Everybody is super friendly. There’s a ton of different stands and it’s all really unique,” Koot explained.

The food as well as the atmosphere is what caught Koot’s attention

“I think just the whole environment is really nice. It’s great to walk around there,” said Koot.

The farmers market provides food and a joyful environment, but none of that means anything without the community. The farmer’s market will open June 2 of this year and will remain open until October. 

“I just think [the market] brings everybody together,” stated Koot.