The Buffalo Grove farmers market opened on Father’s Day at Mike Rylko Park, with several new vendors rounding out the 36 participating this year.
Additionally, about a dozen volunteers help to operate the market, including market manager Paulette Greenberg.
“This is big, yes, not all of them are here every week,” Greenberg said of the season’s market size for 2024. “We have a big group this year.”
Amanda Nells, of Lindenhurst and of Sharpening by Dave, talks to customers from her van on opening day of the Buffalo Grove farmers market June 16, 2024 at Mike Rylko Community Park in Buffalo Grove. (Karie Angell Luc/for Pioneer Press)
Joe Sabatello, of Lake Zurich and of the Lake Zurich-based company Sabatello Quality Meats, is a necomer to the Buffalo Grove farmers market as of this year. He offered fresh bratwurst on opening day of the market June 16, 2024 at Mike Rylko Park. (Karie Angell Luc/for Pioneer Press)
The Buffalo Grove farmers market opened for the season on Father’s Day, June 16, 2024, at Mike Rylko Park in Buffalo Grove. (Karie Angell Luc/for Pioneer Press)
The Buffalo Grove farmers market has a wide midway and will be open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through mid-October – except Labor Day weekend.
“You can have breakfast and lunch here,” Greenberg said, since there are offerings such as crepes, egg rolls, freeze dried candy, fried rice, baked goods and sandwiches. “Come and eat breakfast. Come hungry, try out the new food.”
Greenberg said cherries are in season and many of the farmers are bringing produce that is “two, three weeks earlier than normal because the weather was good.”
She said most of the produce doesn’t sit in warehouses but has been picked shortly before being for sale at the market.
“Really, it’s from the farm to the customer within days,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg said historically, attendance at the market fluctuates. But, she explained, in good weather, especially in the early season, about 1,000 people come through on Sundays. Food pantry goods are also collected.
“It’s community,” Greenberg said of the farmers market. “Some of these people who own the booths live in the area, and you meet people. This is a big social event every year.”
Loren Lukaszewski, of Eau Claire, Michigan, staffed the booth of vendor Holle Orchards Hardin’s Family Farm, and said, “It’s been a good year for strawberries.”
Selling custom made bratwurst for a Father’s Day grill was market newcomer Joe Sabatello, of Lake Zurich and of the Lake Zurich-based company Sabatello Quality Meats.
Supporting local businesses is important because, “It goes to the quality that’s provided with the local business especially with farmers markets,” Sabatello said.
He said there was no corn syrup in the brats he sold, a departure from the sausages available in grocery stores.
“This is my second farmers market this year, last week I sold out in the first two hours,” Sabatello said, referring to his participation in the Lake Zurich farmers market..
Caden Docekal, 4, of Buffalo Grove and Caden’s brother Riker, 2, and the tots’ father
Gary Docekal, of Buffalo Grove, and his two young children were at market opening day early, hoping to beat the arrival of the hotter air temperatures forecast for the day. came early to opening day.
Spending Father’s Day with the family– including at the farmers market, said Docekal, is “putting in the time, trying to prioritize what’s important,” to make quality memories.
Knife sharpener Amanda Nells, of Lindenhurst and of Sharpening by Dave, is back in action at area farmers markets this season.
She called on patrons to continue to “support local because you keep small businesses like us in business.”
Nells said this year marked her company’s 20th season participating in farmers markets.
“Business is good,” she said.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer.
