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Farmers market gains visibility on Main St.
Hall of Records plaza hosts weekly sale of New Jersey produce
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
It's not exactly the country, but customers who frequent the Freehold Borough Farmers Market might say it "feels" like the country as they peruse tables laden with fresh farm produce, fresh breads and colorful flowers.
A weekly farmers market has returned to Freehold Borough, giving residents and visitors a chance to buy Jersey Fresh produce and plants. Clockwise from top: Diane Rusbarsky, Essabella Erdberg and Claire Sheehan found the shopping to their liking.
Freehold Borough hosts a farmers market every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Monmouth County Hall of Records plaza, Main Street. The weekly retail operation recalls the sale of fresh produce years ago in the borough's Market Yard.
Jayne Carr, the chief operating officer of the Freehold Center Partnership, called the 3-year-old farmers market a success story. She said the idea behind the endeavor was to "foster awareness and support of New Jersey farmers, as well as to provide people with the convenience of buying fresh farm foods."
"We all know there's nothing that beats Jersey-grown produce and we have dedicated a lengthy program this summer through October to provide people with the convenient ability to nourish themselves and their families with the fruits, vegetables and homemade baked goods our vendors provide," Carr said.
Vendors at the market include Hauserhill's Farms, Old Bridge. Farm manager Larry Mc- Grath has been in the produce business all his life and has been managing Hauserhill's Farms for 12 years. He said he has been selling produce at the Freehold Farmers Market since it opened three years ago.
Jersey hothouse tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, a variety of lettuce and collards, as well as colorful fresh strawberries and rows of summer potted flowers lined his tables at the Hall of Records plaza on June 17, just waiting for customers to pick them up.
"We only sell what we grow and it's all 100 percent fresh, picked the same day we go out with it. You cannot compare our produce with a supermarket," Mc- Grath said.
To illustrate this point, his coworker Jeanette Hauser said the two were late setting up at the market that day because they had to wait until the strawberries were finished being picked.
The farmers market will be a part of Freehold's Main Street streetscape until late October, according to Carr, and vendors will bring along the best and freshest picks of the season.
Hauserhill's Farms will bring along a variety of fresh produce in season, including peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, peaches and apples.
Fresh cheeses, spreads, jellies and freshly baked breads are available at the farmers market from Key Ingredient Market, North Bergen.
Packed on ice and waiting for customers are items such as red pepper jelly and spiced orange blueberry marmalade. Also available are basil tomato, hummus garlic and hot horseradish spreads, in addition to smoked salmon and sun-dried tomato spreads. To complement the cheeses and spreads, Key Ingredient Market also sells a variety of freshly baked breads including garlic loaves, raisin bread and baguettes. For those who prefer a lighter companion for their cheeses or spreads, there are delicate fine companion crackers also on sale.
Homemade biscotti in flavors such as chocolate chip, toffee and white chocolate cranberry are also part of the fare.
Casola Farms, Marlboro, will also be participating in the Freehold Farmers Market.
Over the course of the summer and fall the farmers market will offer cauliflower, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, eggplant, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. Sweet treats such as watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and nectarines will also be sold.
"The Market Yard was the original farmers and tradesmen's designated commercial location that sold goods and wares to Monmouth County residents, and from which the center that is now Main Street and environs have sprung. The borough was the place of commerce for Freehold Township and the surrounding townships to sell their farm produce," Carr said.
Carr said the partnership received permission from Monmouth County last year to place the farmers market in front of the Hall of Records. Previously, it had been in another location on Main Street.
Carr likes the new space.
"There are 3,300 Monmouth County workers here five days a week," she said. "Add in the attorneys, Main Street businesses people, title company employees and all of the other businesses, and this location is the most visible place in town."
She said the market "gives people a reason to stop and come to the downtown area, whereas, if the market wasn't there, maybe they wouldn't have stopped at all. And when they stop, they get to go home with something special. It's healthy Jersey produce."
Farmers market gains visibility on Main St.
Hall of Records plaza hosts weekly sale of New Jersey produce
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
It's not exactly the country, but customers who frequent the Freehold Borough Farmers Market might say it "feels" like the country as they peruse tables laden with fresh farm produce, fresh breads and colorful flowers.
A weekly farmers market has returned to Freehold Borough, giving residents and visitors a chance to buy Jersey Fresh produce and plants. Clockwise from top: Diane Rusbarsky, Essabella Erdberg and Claire Sheehan found the shopping to their liking.
Freehold Borough hosts a farmers market every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Monmouth County Hall of Records plaza, Main Street. The weekly retail operation recalls the sale of fresh produce years ago in the borough's Market Yard.
Jayne Carr, the chief operating officer of the Freehold Center Partnership, called the 3-year-old farmers market a success story. She said the idea behind the endeavor was to "foster awareness and support of New Jersey farmers, as well as to provide people with the convenience of buying fresh farm foods."
"We all know there's nothing that beats Jersey-grown produce and we have dedicated a lengthy program this summer through October to provide people with the convenient ability to nourish themselves and their families with the fruits, vegetables and homemade baked goods our vendors provide," Carr said.
Vendors at the market include Hauserhill's Farms, Old Bridge. Farm manager Larry Mc- Grath has been in the produce business all his life and has been managing Hauserhill's Farms for 12 years. He said he has been selling produce at the Freehold Farmers Market since it opened three years ago.
Jersey hothouse tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, a variety of lettuce and collards, as well as colorful fresh strawberries and rows of summer potted flowers lined his tables at the Hall of Records plaza on June 17, just waiting for customers to pick them up.
"We only sell what we grow and it's all 100 percent fresh, picked the same day we go out with it. You cannot compare our produce with a supermarket," Mc- Grath said.
To illustrate this point, his coworker Jeanette Hauser said the two were late setting up at the market that day because they had to wait until the strawberries were finished being picked.
The farmers market will be a part of Freehold's Main Street streetscape until late October, according to Carr, and vendors will bring along the best and freshest picks of the season.
Hauserhill's Farms will bring along a variety of fresh produce in season, including peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, peaches and apples.
Fresh cheeses, spreads, jellies and freshly baked breads are available at the farmers market from Key Ingredient Market, North Bergen.
Packed on ice and waiting for customers are items such as red pepper jelly and spiced orange blueberry marmalade. Also available are basil tomato, hummus garlic and hot horseradish spreads, in addition to smoked salmon and sun-dried tomato spreads. To complement the cheeses and spreads, Key Ingredient Market also sells a variety of freshly baked breads including garlic loaves, raisin bread and baguettes. For those who prefer a lighter companion for their cheeses or spreads, there are delicate fine companion crackers also on sale.
Homemade biscotti in flavors such as chocolate chip, toffee and white chocolate cranberry are also part of the fare.
Casola Farms, Marlboro, will also be participating in the Freehold Farmers Market.
Over the course of the summer and fall the farmers market will offer cauliflower, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, eggplant, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. Sweet treats such as watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and nectarines will also be sold.
"The Market Yard was the original farmers and tradesmen's designated commercial location that sold goods and wares to Monmouth County residents, and from which the center that is now Main Street and environs have sprung. The borough was the place of commerce for Freehold Township and the surrounding townships to sell their farm produce," Carr said.
Carr said the partnership received permission from Monmouth County last year to place the farmers market in front of the Hall of Records. Previously, it had been in another location on Main Street.
Carr likes the new space.
"There are 3,300 Monmouth County workers here five days a week," she said. "Add in the attorneys, Main Street businesses people, title company employees and all of the other businesses, and this location is the most visible place in town."
She said the market "gives people a reason to stop and come to the downtown area, whereas, if the market wasn't there, maybe they wouldn't have stopped at all. And when they stop, they get to go home with something special. It's healthy Jersey produce."