The farmers market, where neighbors shop for locally made and grown products.
SUMMIT, NJ — Last month began the annual Summit Farmers Market, which opens every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located at the intersection of DeForest Avenue and Maple Street, this year’s market welcomes four new vendors. They include Boxwood Coffee, Foraged Feast, Lakeside Maple Granola and Maria’s Gourmet Edibles. The market will open every Sunday morning until November 20.
Boxwood Coffee is a local company based in Summit. They offer a variety of hot and cold beverages including coffee pour overs, a great way for merchants to begin their Sunday mornings at the market.
Dan Lipow of Maplewood harvests his product locally. He sells a variety of wild-foraged food for his business, Foraged Feast. His products include nuts, berries, mushrooms, chicory, morels and other weeds and fungi. He claims ramps to be his best seller, due to their short season of availability. Ramps are often referred to as wild leeks, and they have a garlic taste which has made them a culinary sensation.
Lakeside Maple Granola of Hopatcong offers healthy snacks such as granola and trail mixes. Using high-quality ingredients such as maple syrup, dried cranberries, almonds and sunflower seeds, they fail to neglect taste when making their product. These snacks are also low in calories.
Maria’s Gourmet Edibles of Lafayette offers a variety of stuffed breads. Vegan dieters can indulge in a scrumptious stuffed bread with broccoli rabe. They’re also known for a delicious spaghetti and meatball bread.
“I attended last year’s Summit Farmers Market,” said former Summit resident, Jose Ramirez. “I thought they had a variety of items. I’m not one to shy away from spending more money for quality meat or produce.”
As for his favorite items, “I especially liked the cabbage,” Ramirez said. “I loved the honey selection they had too. It was good to see local shops such as Brownie Points.”
In addition to adding the four new vendors to the 2016 Summit Farmers Market, a part-time marketing and events coordinator is another person they would like to add for the new season. Applicants must be self-starters and highly organized, with experience in event planning and social media. For more information, call 908-277-6101 or email
[email protected].
The Summit Farmers Market is run by Summit Downtown, Inc., the nonprofit organization responsible for the promotion of the business community in downtown Summit. Widely regarded as one of the best in the state, the Summit Farmers Market is both a regional destination for fresh food and a beloved community meeting place. Every Sunday offers local members of the community the opportunity to shop for healthy and fresh foods for the entire season.
“The support that I was able to give to small businesses makes me feel like I’m helping them on a proper level,” said Ramirez. “They cannot always nor do they have access to ads or television spots. Hoboken Farms was good and so was Lizzmonade. I’m glad my neighbor invited me to go. Word of mouth definitely helps small businesses.”