(BLOOMINGTON) – The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market opens the weekday version of the Market for the 2019 season on Tuesday, June 4 from 4 until 7 p.m. with the Tuesday Market Kickoff and Bloomingfoods Co-op Day. The Tuesday Market takes place every week through the end of September at Sixth and Madison Streets.
The Tuesday Market is a smaller version of the popular Saturday Farmers’ Market. Tuesday Market features farm vendors with fresh, locally grown farm products, and prepared food vendors who use locally made and grown ingredients in their ready-to-eat offerings.
Each week’s Tuesday Market features live entertainment by Bloomington-area musicians. During the Tuesday Market Kickoff, Monika Herzig plays live music at 4 p.m. and RP & The Wurlitzers play at 5:40 p.m. Market visitors can also enjoy a cookout presented by Bloomingfoods, play lawn games, and enter a door prize drawing to win a vermicompost bin.
Metered parking ($1/hour) is available on the streets surrounding the Tuesday Market, and free parking is available in the parking lot at City Hall, 401 N. Morton St., after 5 p.m. The Tuesday Market is one block south of City Hall.
“The Tuesday Market is a convenient place to grab a few fresh ingredients for dinner,” said Marcia Veldman, Farmers’ Market Coordinator. “Many of the same farm vendors who set up at the Saturday Market come to the Tuesday Market with farm products they’ve harvested the same day.”
Farm vendors who are scheduled to set up at Tuesday Market on June 4 include Olde Lane Orchard, Living Roots Farm, The Bloomin’ Circus, Texas Ridge Farms, Iron Gate Farms Salsa, Primally Inspired Eats, Rising Moon Acres, Morningside Farm, and Stanford Farm.
At the close of each week’s Tuesday Market, the Farm to Family Fund, Inc. purchases produce, meat and dairy that farm vendors wish to sell for half price. The Farm to Family Fund then donates the food to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.
“The Farm to Family Fund is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping all households have access to sustainably grown, healthy food,” Veldman said. “By purchasing unsold farm products, the Fund not only supports local farmers but also provides fresh food for hungry families.”
A second initiative launched at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market and the Tuesday Market this year is Bring Your Bag Bloomington. To reduce the use of single-use plastic bags at the Market, Bring Your Bag Bloomington has added a “bag tree” next to the Farmers’ Market information table. Market shoppers can pick up reusable grocery bags, or leave extra bags for others to use. Representatives from Bring Your Bag Bloomington will table at the Tuesday Market Kickoff June 4 from 4 until 7 p.m.
The Tuesday Market also doubles SNAP (food stamp) dollars again in 2019. Food stamp shoppers can bring their food stamp cards to the Tuesday Market and use them to buy “Market Bucks.” Market Bucks are available in $3 increments, and can be used just like cash at the Tuesday Market to buy food stamp-eligible farm products. For every $3 in food stamp benefits exchanged, the Market will give $6 in Market Bucks, up to $36 in Market Bucks in exchange for up to $18 in food stamp benefits.
For more information about Tuesday Market or the Saturday Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, or for a list of available produce or the entertainment schedule, contact the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market at 812.349.3738 or visit bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket.
