Mill City Farmers Market is always overflowing with fresh food, families, and foodies. On a recent visit there, director Marjorie Hegstrom talked to Live Green Twin Cities about the market's mission, its growth, and its waiting list that’s a mile long. I met Marjorie at the Market at 6:30 am, ensuring there was plenty of time to watch local farmers and food producers (who had arrived as early as 5:30 am) set up their stands beside the mighty Mississippi River before the market opened at 8:00. For the farmers, the place is bustling before the sun comes up. Marjorie - smart, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and a month away from maternity leave - has been with the Mill City Farmers Market since it was founded in June of 2006 by Brenda Langton (chef/owner of Spoonriver and Cafe Brenda), John Crippen of the Mill City Museum, and Farm in the City (where Marjorie worked at the time). And while the market has not strayed from its core mission --to promote local, sustainable and organic agriculture, increasing economic opportunities for farmers, urban youth, small businesses and food artisans”-- quite a lot has changed for the market as it has grown in size and reputation. For one thing, today the market has a waiting list a mile long, loaded with food producers and sellers who have completed the extensive application process (reviewed by at least two farmers market staff members) and are hoping to get a chance to sell their goods at Mill City. And while most of the produce sold at the market comes from within 100 miles of downtown Minneapolis, there’s no hard cut-off point. Minnesota Valley Organics, at 125 miles, is the farthest farm represented at the market, selling pork and eggs good enough to forgive the extra distance. And the spots at the Market come pretty cheap: Food producers and sellers pay the market only $30/week for their spots, plus a $50 annual fee.
Read the rest of this post at Live Green Twin Cities.
