With a grocery store only a short block away, finding produce at budget friendly prices is never too difficult for renters like myself. However, those budget friendly prices don’t always equal fresh, quality foods.
And the truth is that while the convenience of having everything I could possibly need so close is one of the best parts of city life, the tomatoes at Jewel still don’t compare to my Grandma’s garden.
So, I began brainstorming ways to find the affordability of a supermarket combined with the freshness of fresh-picked produce. It only took about five minutes before I realized the perfect solution - a farmer’s market.
As it turns out, Chicago has a great market community with weekly and independent markets scattered across the city. Some of the most popular markets include the weekly Wicker Park and Bucktown Farmers Market, Andersonville Farmers Market and the Green City Market.
Lucky for me, the Green City Market is located in Lincoln Park and is only a 5-minute bus ride away. So, craving some wonderful fresh-picked produce, I got up extra early this morning to beat the crowds and see what this market had to offer.
I was not disappointed as I filled up on wonderful samples of peaches, blueberries, preserves, cheeses and even maple syrup. For an hour or so, I browsed the stands, discussed growing techniques and produce seasons with the growers and bartered prices for some of the tastiest fruit I’ve had in a while.
Wandering through the market reminded me of the festivals and markets I’d attended in the past from the Applebutter Festival in Grand Rapids, Ohio, to the Athens Farmers Market to the Farmers Market in Salzburg. I was pleasantly surprised with the similarities of the atmosphere, which left me feeling quite at home.
Unfortunately the only bad part of these markets is that their seasons are about as limited as a dream apartment’s vacancy time here in the city. Eventually, summer will end and the coming of fall will find me back in the supermarkets sifting through lackluster produce in the budget bins. Where do you find your favorite fresh foods during the colder months?
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