Know Your Farmers Market: Federal Plaza Farmers Market
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jul 6, 2012 8:20PM
(Today we continue our series where we visit a different farmers market in the city as part of raising awareness of the farmers market network across Chicago, their locations and how they work to bring the freshest produce and foodstuffs to the communities they serve.)
A farmers market set up in the middle of downtown rarely lacks for foot traffic. One of the best locations in the Loop for one is Federal Plaza, with a mix of government employees and other office workers, students, tourists and people playing hooky from work.
The length of the plaza allows vendors ample space to set up their stations and put their best produce and products up front. (Good merchandising is always beneficial.) There's a nice balance here between fresh produce and prepared foodstuffs. Wisconsin's River Valley Ranch always has a variety of spreads, salsas and sauces to go with their fresh mushrooms. Lehman's Orchard has fresh and dried fruits, jellies, jams and syrups. Stover's Farm in Barrien Springs, Mich. sells amazing honey.
Stamper Cheese Company, one of the few vendors that's a regular presence at the Bridgeport Farmers Market, shows up here. But they have some competition in Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, a favorite of farmers market customers across the area.
You can spend your visit noshing on some of the dried fruits available for sale or take in a bag of popcorn from Mother Butter's Popcorn.
The Federal Plaza Farmers Market runs 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 30.