Beyond the farm stand: The new role of suburban farmers markets

It’s a Thursday night, and downtown Barrington is hopping.

Smoke rises from beef skewers sizzling on a grill. Students from School of Rock perform classic hits. Families migrate among vendors’ tents or sit at tables talking, eating or otherwise soaking in the atmosphere.

Barrington’s Thursday Night Out is just one of many farmers markets dotting the suburban landscape this summer.

More and more suburbs are embracing farmers markets in ways that go beyond the sale of produce. They have evolved into multi-purpose civic events — a proving ground for small businesses, a way for communities to advertise their services, a showcase for local musical talent, a source of food for area pantries and a draw for local eateries and shops.

Thousands flock to events including Sunday gatherings in Buffalo Grove and Mount Prospect, or Schaumburg’s Friday market.

With the aid of social media, farmers markets have even expanded their draw to customers like Buffalo Grove resident Jamie Johnson, who heard about the event at Mike Rylko Community Park through Facebook.

“I love it. First of all, everyone’s so friendly,” she said. “There’s a variety, it’s versatile, and I’m just thoroughly enjoying myself.”

Schaumburg resident Tanya Hanulik regularly visits the Olde Schaumburg Centre Farmers Market, held in the Trickster Cultural Center parking lot, where on a recent Friday people lined up for apple cider doughnuts and sampled the sounds of classical music from a string duet.

“Such a joy to come every Friday,” she said.

One of the mainstays is the Buffalo Grove market, which runs 17 Sundays per season. The market focuses on walk-around food, giving it the atmosphere of a ballpark concourse.

Market Manager Paulette Greenberg said the market is low-cost, running on a $2,500 operating budget. It generates roughly $6,000 to $7,000 in vendor fees.

She said it’s also a testing ground for small businesses.

“A lot of them have gotten going enough that they now have storefronts,” she said.

Among them is Elaine Markeli, who runs Nana’s Rum Cakes in Mundelein.

She spent years selling baked goods at Libertyville, Deerfield and Grayslake markets before the loyalty she built there allowed her to open a brick-and-mortar store.

“Once I hit enough of a following, I figured I could, as they say, either go big or go home,” Markeli said. “It worked very well for us.”

“This is a good steppingstone to introduce your product and to build awareness. And it also builds your confidence,” said another of the vendors, Arundathi Bannur, of Thindhi, which specializes in South Indian cuisine.

Of course, there’s fresh produce too.

Lafevor Farm and Greenhouses, based in Lowell, Indiana, supplies a variety of produce for markets in Buffalo Grove, Deerfield and Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood.

Its stalls burst with asparagus, broccoli, peas, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower.

“You know all your customers,” Mark Lafevor said of the loyal following he’s built. “We see their kids grow up. They see my kids grow up.”

He can get his products from the field to the customer within hours, which makes a difference in freshness.

At the Barrington market, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital sells produce grown on its Smart Farm.

Jessica Hauert, who works at the farm, said the goal is to serve the greater area.

“We donate a lot of our produce to local food pantries that are helping neighbors with food insecurity,” she said.

Another mainstay on the farmers market circuit is the Mount Prospect event run by the Lions Club.

Fred Steinmiller, a Lions Club member who helped start the event 30 years ago, said downtown redevelopment has greatly boosted foot traffic.

“A lot of people are walking to the market from downtown, from the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Alongside the farm stands are food trucks and artisans selling jewelry, children’s clothes, aromatics and hummus.

To keep the market from turning into what Steinmiller calls a flea market, organizers limit duplicate booths and bar unrelated commercial tables such as real estate.

The village’s health department inspects food vendors on Sundays, and packaged products must carry ingredient labels.

The Lions Club sends roughly a dozen volunteers to help each Sunday with setup, operations and teardown.

Vendor fees and donations support local causes. Steinmiller said the club donated $100,000 last year from all its activities, with “a big chunk” coming from the farmers market.

The village food pantry receives a check around November, and leftover produce is collected at day’s end by the village’s human services department for distribution.

The downtown location is good for surrounding businesses, Mount Prospect Community Development Director Jason Shallcross said.

“It drives a lot of traffic, especially for the lunch crowds on weekends,” he said. “We’re really happy with having a farmers market.”

As with Mount Prospect and Barrington, the Palatine farmers market, which is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, benefits from the synergy with the downtown.

“The market is a great event that brings people to the downtown area.” Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. “It provides a nice place for people to gather and see friends and neighbors.”