Richard Fenner and his wife Nona live in Hinckley but admit that when it comes to visiting farmers markets the distance to one of their favorites isn’t an issue.
“We come to the outdoor market every week in the summer here but this is our first visit to the indoor market,” Richard Fenner said at the winter indoor market in Batavia Saturday morning. “This is the nearest farmers market for us and we got some bread and empanadas. We like to buy things that don’t have a lot of artificial ingredients.”
Batavia’s indoor market opened for the season on Nov. 2. It will run from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through mid-May at Grainology BrewStillery, 131 Flinn St., Suite C, in Batavia.
Organized again by the Batavia MainStreet group, the indoor market this year is featuring more than 20 vendors that a press release said would include “local farmers, bakers and makers” who will be bringing a wide variety of products including locally-grown produce, farm-raised meats, eggs, fresh baked goods, hot sauces, gourmet mushrooms, pickles, jams and preserves, sourdough bread, potted holiday bulbs, evergreen wreaths and swags, kombucha tea and more.
Batavia MainStreet Executive Director Beth Walker said moving the market last year from 150 First St. to Grainology BrewStillery has worked out great.
“We were up 42% in attendance” after the move, she said.
“It’s just been a really nice place for people to come out and get some fresh produce and baked goods as well as some socializing,” she said. “People stop and see friends and it’s a nice way for folks to get together when there aren’t a lot of options in the winter.”
Walker said returning vendors include Van Laar’s Fruit Farm, which is again offering its popular apple cider doughnuts, as well as breads and apples. Other returnees include Mighty Greens Farm with lettuce, salad blends and seasonal produce all raised in Elburn, and Hufendick Farm with locally raised beef, pork and chicken as well as eggs.
“We really concentrate on consumables and we have a new soup vendor, Fourth Dimension Flavors, that will be selling homemade soups and we have a couple of vendors that do a lot of fermented products,” she said.
With Fourth Dimension Flavors, Donna Christopherson said her husband Sean “has been a chef for about 20 years.”
“This is our first year doing our own thing. We both have been in 9 to 5 jobs and we’re branching out to have some creativity and follow our dreams,” she said. “We’ll always have two regular soups as well as a vegan option.”
Softwave Fish Co. has also joined the market, offering fresh fish, smoked fish, locally-made fish spreads, crab cakes and more, while Wanda Farms brings grass-fed and finished beef, pastured poultry, pork and eggs.
The market on Saturday was busy with shoppers, including Kim Garcia of Campton Hills and her husband Felipe.
“Last year, we were here almost every Saturday,” Kim Garcia said. “We’re frequent flyers. We like so many of the vendors. We love pretty much everything. This is where we get all the produce for the week ahead and it’s all local, small business, locally grown and clean and pesticide free. All the good stuff.”
“I like the meat from the local farm and anything I can grill, I like,” Felipe Garcia said. “I know this isn’t the cheapest option but you get what you pay for. It makes you feel good inside.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
