Wilmington Farmers’ Markets: Locally Grown Goodness
What: Farmers’ markets
When: 8 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Saturdays
Where: Historic Downtown Riverfront on N.. Water Street. between Market and & Princess streets on Saturdays; Halyburton Park, 4099 S. 17th St., on Wednesdays.
Forget the fluorescent-lit, chilly aisles of the superstores, the depressing blank-faced crowds, your squealing buggy. Down on Wilmington’s riverfront, Saturday mornings are 
the essence of summer: white-tented stalls packed with flowers, locally grown produce, fresh eggs, seafood, tropical plants, pickled products, baked goods - the list is long, the atmosphere bustling and contented. Artists also set up booths, and live music plays in the background. The result: customers pay attention to their surroundings and lack the dopey, half-asleep look they wear in grocery checkout lanes. And if you think those stores are more economical, think again.
Area farmer’s markets are competitively priced to say the least. A basic bouquet of flowers from the neighborhood grocery runs about $4, but it would take three or four to match one carefully put-together bundle at Mary-Beth Moore’s “What’s Fresh” booth. Her flowers are an eye-catching display - overflowing with lilies, sunflowers and snapdragons. As Moore’s reputation grows, her gorgeous bouquets can be spotted all over town.
If you’re in the market for something more exotic, you may find Larry Rouch’s Jungle House Tropicals and Specialty Plants particularly attractive. Formerly an exotic animal collector, Rouch’s interest in selling tropicals had its genesis nine years ago with a single banana tree. Now, you can take advantage of his supply and expertise to bring a bit of tropical paradise home.
Since its inception in 2004, the downtown farmer’s market has gained an enormous amount of support, enough to generate a new Halyburton Park location in 2005. Besides cost-efficiency, the markets’ popularity might also be attributed to the knowledge, experience and passion of vendors. A clear-cut goal here is not just to sell, but to pass a little education along, too.
While Margaret Shelton’s stand initially draws people in with fig and key lime trees, herbs and country flowers, customers linger for advice and the recipes she prints for non-foodies who need inspiration.
Meanwhile, at the next stall, an Olsen Gardens seller advises a customer of the best way to preserve and use fresh berries. The friendly-but-not-too-pushy tips underscore an appealing farmer’s market premise: seasonal eating for a healthier lifestyle. Many producers bring their own specific perspectives: ET Toad’s bog plants are raised without pollutants and fertilizers; Gilbert Farm sells hydroponic vegetables; Black River Organics and Stoneground Baking Company offer, in turn, organic produce and breads.
The generosity and good humor of vendors is infectious. Angela Cannon of Angela’s Pickled Pepper Foods fully appreciates the allure of the market, having traded in a career as a project manager for CitiBank for pickled foods. “I’ve changed everything, from my job to my ZIP code!” she said. It’s certainly paid off - products ranging from pickled okra with Fresno peppers to pickled cucumbers with habaneros are crowd favorites. Brunswick 
Beeworks consistently attracts attention with live beehives and beautifully packaged honey, soaps, lip balms and candles. And another big hit among marketgoers is Nature’s Way Farm & Seafood, where Bill Moller, after 35 years as a commercial fisherman, has turned his attentions solely to the market. Of the seafood sold here, 90 percent is caught fresh. Also at this stall are Tina Moller’s delicious homemade cheeses - the “herbs de Provence” goat cheese is sinfully good. The Mollers, like so many other producers, depend on the markets to support their business. “If you buy local,” Bill Moller says simply, “the money stays right here in community.”
So whether it’s because people like to support local farmers or because they enjoy a healthy lifestyle, Wilmington farmer’s markets are sustaining an ever-broadening fan base. In the end, maybe the real draw is something at once simpler and more ineffable, something that has to do with the intrinsic romance of fresh-baked organic bread, fat summer vegetables and packages of fresh, homemade cheese.
