Long thought to consist of endless miles of corn and soybean fields, Indiana’s agricultural heritage yields some well-kept secrets when it comes to food production. Small family farms are no longer able to support extended families as in the past. Younger generations are going off to college, following other paths, and leaving the farm. Urban sprawl gradually swallows up farmland as retiring farmers find their only alternative is to sell and downsize, no longer able to keep up the farm alone.
But these changes in demographics provide new opportunities for young farmers to spread their wings and try new products, heeding the call from their urban neighbors to produce fresh, nutritious food. Organic gardening is emerging as well as other green-conscious farms for producing food. As Indiana consumers become more concerned with where their food comes from and more committed to keeping the Indiana dollar at home, farmers are developing new crops to fill this market.
The first sign of change is in the diversity of agricultural products. A former beef grower raises buffalo for leaner meat. A small dairy farmer gives up grain and feed his cows grass to make omega-3-rich cheese on his farm. Grain farmers become vegetable growers and expand to provide sweet corn and tomatoes for local harvest. U-pick farms spring up, offering sweet strawberries and anti-oxidant laden greens. Ostrich, duck, free-range chickens, spring water, apples, pears, hickory syrup, goat cheese, elk, all become available at farmers markets, in local culinary stores and farm markets and even in some mainstream grocery stores.
Along with the urban sprawl due to the sale of farmland, a whole new crop of chain restaurants are springing up faster than jimson weed. These restaurants are viable due to their numbers across the country, making it more and more difficult for privately owned restaurants to flourish and compete. Many of these chef-owned restaurants try to use local ingredients whenever possible and hire and promote local people. They offer creativity in their menus that are not found in other restaurants and support the local community through fund-raisers, sponsorship of youth sports leagues and other philanthropy.
In following postings, I will bring you feature stories about these providers of extraordinary food, making them your friends as well as mine. I will share with you the benefits of eating food that is ripened in the Indiana fields and picked for immediate consumption. I will tell you how to find the best wines, the freshest vegetables, the crispest apples, the tastiest cider. I will guide you on one-day road trips that will take you around the hills and plains of our great state to meet the people who are working so hard to grow and prepare food that will keep you healthy and help you celebrate life’s everyday accomplishments.
To begin, here is a listing of several area farmers markets that you should plan to visit starting in May:
The Original Farmers Market
Wednesday mornings
22 E. Market Street at the Indianapolis City Market
Broad Ripple Farmers Market
Saturday mornings
Broad Ripple High School Parking Lot
38th Street Farmers Market
Thursday Afternoons
Methodist Church 38th & Meridian
Mass. Ave. Farmers Market
Massachusetts Avenue Downtown Indianapolis
Saturday afternoons
Greenwood Farmers Market
Saturday Mornings
Greenwood Library between Madison & Meridian Streets
Opening in June:
Watermans Farm Market
7010 E. Raymond Street, Indianapolis
Featuring fresh strawberries and other Indiana-grown produce
No comments:
Post a Comment