“We also offer an opportunity for families to gather, to do fun family activities and for us to bring our community and others from outside of our community here to see all the wonderful amenities we offer,” said Allisa Otyd, events and community relations manager for the village of Homewood.
Visitors can indulge in a day of farm goods and food items from vendors and enjoy live music, a science center, crafts, story time or even yoga.
“(It’s) a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy something at the farmers market and that’s what’s nice is that we bring people together,” Otyd said. “It gives everyone an opportunity to reengage after a long winter.”
Monica White, of Homewood, said going to the market has become her family’s Saturday routine.
“It’s just a nice cultural experience because you get so many vendors from different areas and you get to taste the different foods in the community and support local businesses,” White said.
Farmers who participate in the market are not only from the neighborhood but come from as far as Michigan. Many find it convenient that the market is close to the state line. But it is not just business for these farmers, many of them enjoy the time they spend here forming friendships with regular customers, they said.
“Nowadays it’s word of mouth, a lot of our vendors hear about us from other vendors at different markets and the word is out that ours is a busy market, it’s a good market,” Duff said. “It’s a friendly market and it’s really conveniently located especially (for) a lot of the farmers in Indiana and Michigan (because) the northern suburbs of western suburbs are just too far for them.”
Ruth Walsh, the owner of Zeldenrust Farm Market in Chicago Heights, said that she has been going to the farmers market since she was a little girl. Being a fourth generation farmer, she believes the market is important for new and old vendors.
“They have people that care about their community and that are active in their community,” Walsh said.
The goal of the market is not to only be a market but to provide a different experience from other ones that visitors find in Chicago.
“It’s a place where people will walk down with their kids, the whole family will come, they’ll pick up some breakfast, they’ll listen to the music and they’ll maybe go to the science center,” Duff said. “It has that community focus, maybe more so than some other farmers markets.”
Since it’s beginning, the market has been run by different groups but is now guided by the village with the help of Kate Duff, the market manager. Even though it has been around for nearly four decades, it is only the market’s third year at its current location. It previously was in the parking lot of St. Joseph Church on Dixie Highway.
Homewood market is yearlong. It begins with an indoor market between January and April and transitions to an outdoor one from May to October.
“I think the momentum and consistency that we are offering (is what) gives everyone that opportunity to come together as a community,” Otyd said.
Shaneka Stanley, of Flossmoor, said she tries to attend both markets as a way to support small businesses.
“I like to patronize small businesses and I always find something like fresh grown fruit or homemade cakes,” Stanley said. “ My husband runs a small business and so we always like to support small businesses.
The market continues to grow, officials said.
“Each year, (the market) gets stronger and stronger,” Otyd said. “I could see us actually going down Chestnut Road at some point.”
The Homewood Farmers Market is open 8 a.m to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.
Other south suburban farmers markets include, Lemont Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Tuesdays at Talcott Square parking lot; Oak Lawn Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays at 9420 S 52nd Ave.; Palos Heights Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday at municipal parking lot, 122 & Harlem Ave; South Holland Town Center Marketplace, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at the northeast corner of 162nd Street and South Park Avenue and Tinley Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturdays at 17375 Oak Park Ave.
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