Warmer weather and clear skies mean it’s time for local farmers’ markets to kick back up again.
Indianapolis is home to dozens of farmers markets — from the Original Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays to the Statehouse Market on Thursday and the Garfield Park Farmers Market on Saturdays. But these beloved hubs for fresh produce and homemade baked goods are more than sustainable buying; they play a key role in supporting the local economy through community building.
“For us, personally, as a vendor, it has been just an amazing experience to develop relationships with people,” said Marilyn Schulte, co-manager of the Pike Farmers Market. “Saturday was our first market of the season, so we hadn’t seen a lot of our regular customers since September, and it was like a reunion to see these people again. … They’re so excited with whatever we bring. They’re willing to try things. They’re very supportive of us … it’s really essential.”
Pike Farmers Market, which is only in its fourth season, takes place from 8:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday, June 7-Aug. 23 at Common Ground West Church, 5429 Lafayette Road. Schulte, who runs her KayLeo Urban Farm with her husband, started the market to use the produce they grow to provide for their community within Pike Township.
The market began with around only 10 vendors; today it averages about 25-27 vendors each week.
“I think we’re probably the youngest in the city,” Schulte said. “We’re the newest one, though. We are the only one over here on the northwest side of Indianapolis.”
Established in 2015, the Garfield Park Farmers Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday morning from May to September. In just a decade, the market has filled a niche within the Indianapolis community.
Before the Garfield Park Farmers Market, Ashley Brooks said there was no traditional Saturday morning farmers market anywhere downtown. Brooks and co-founder Julia Woody saw the need for a place for the community to gather and shop sustainably on Saturday mornings and began contacting local producers and farmers.
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At the time, Garfield Park was considered a food desert. Hence, Brooks said they were especially interested in providing quality products to people in the area who were experiencing food insecurity or didn’t have access to fresh, local produce.
Food justice is equally important, Brooks said. The Garfield Park Farmers Market also ensures neighbors have access to fresh, sustainable food, regardless of their financial means, by offering food assistance programs, such as SNAP, Fresh Bucks and WIC when applicable. They also honor senior vouchers.
“That’s always been at the forefront of our mission,” Brooks said. “We vet our vendors and our farmers, we do a lot of research, we make sure that they are producers only … so they’re not purchasing and reselling products, they are actually growing their own food. Then, we make sure that they have organic, sustainable growing practices.”
From there, the market took off, growing exponentially each year. As the Garfield Park Farmers Market enters its 10th season, Brooks is excited to see more vendors, customers and neighbors experiencing everything Garfield Park offers.
This year alone, the market has received more than 100 applications from potential vendors, although the Garfield Park market can typically support 50-60 vendors on any given week. Despite remaining food-focused, Brooks said the market also aims to be a springboard for new small and home-based businesses to get their bearings, try new things and expand their clientele.
“Part of our mission is to support small businesses and farmers, growers, but also folks that want to try something new,” Brooks said. “It’s really important to support the local economy and keep our dollars local. We think that’s really important to just … have thriving communities and food production.”
The Pike Farmers Market also emphasizes community building, and each of the offerings, right down to the vendors, aims to be as local as possible, Schulte said. Vendor applications are collected in February, prioritizing farmers, growers and business owners based in Pike Township.
“We want our vendors to look like our community,” Schulte said. “Pike is a really diverse community … I feel really proud of our vendors. They are high-quality in their products; people who just work really hard. A lot of them, it’s not their full-time job, but it’s the thing they’re passionate about and the thing they love doing.”
Schulte said the market is also a community gathering space where vendors can develop relationships with their neighbors. In addition to browsing booths, guests are invited to enjoy live music, food trucks, a section for local artists and places to just sit and relax.
“It’s nice to have that face-to-face communication with people,” Schulte said. “It is a smaller carbon footprint when the products are made right here and brought there, and the goods are really high quality, so people know they’re getting a quality product. Also, it’s just a way for people to see the great things already happening in our community in one place.”
The same community aspect also contributes to the Garfield Park Farmers Market’s success, Brooks said. In addition to local vendors, the market features live music and programming geared toward children and families every week.
Brooks said that providing an opportunity and space for folks to come together once a week and connect and share about their businesses was vital for them, especially after the pandemic. Attendees will even approach her each week, expressing just how far they’ve traveled to be at the market.
“A lot of times, (the) person behind the booth is the grower, the owner, and they are there every single week, and they’re bringing their family and their children,” Brooks said. “They are connecting directly with the community members … and they’re able to talk about their products and their growing practices, and talk about what sustainability practices they use, and why that’s important.”
“I think we’ve created a really lovely community vibe,” Brooks added.
For more information about the Garfield Park Farmers Market or the Pike Farmers Market, visit garfieldparkfarmersmarket.com and pikefarmersmarket.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
