A GUIDE TO CHICAGO FARMERS MARKET ETIQUETTE
When I was a teen, attempting to sleep in on Saturdays, I’d wake up and see that my father had already made his weekly visit to the farmers market, coming back with a bouquet of flowers for mom and a bounty of vegetables.
Why would anyone want to waste their precious weekend time outside in the sun, walking around to buy veggies? You can make a run to the Jewels without sacrificing sleep. The stuff at markets isn’t even cooked.
But as I grew older, I found myself morphing into the old man. I celebrate the start of the market season and mourn the end as a precursor to winter. Perhaps it’s compensating for my general lack of enthusiasm for the lowly Chicago sports season. It’s nice to look forward to something; farmers won’t let you down like team owners looking for tax incentives.
This new crop of farmers markets looks different from what my dad visited. Chefs and food entrepreneurs use the markets to help establish their brands. You’ll find long lines waiting for grilled cheese, gooey raclette sandwiches, and coffee.
Farmers markets are essential for urban areas, giving city dwellers better access to fresh produce, something that’s not consistent throughout the city. This has an impact on healthcare. Hospitals want healthier patients — they make money if patients have short stays, opening up beds for new customers. Long stays aren’t as lucrative. Many hospitals host farmers in the hopes of establishing healthier habits for their patient base. The markets are also havens for folks with dogs and young children, and pumped-up athleisure-clad visitors who just finished their workouts will have to avoid leashes and bulky strollers for survival.
With all of this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of tips for farmers market visitors. Some of them are pet peeves. Some of them come from chatting with chefs and vendors. Please enjoy.
- Show up early — as early as 7 a.m. for specialty goods. Dad was on to something — markets are easier to navigate with fewer people. It’s a huge time saver. Waking up earlier than the ones who woke up early to work out not only makes you feel better than them, but it allows you to get to items before they sell out. As chef Sarah Stegner says: “If you see something don’t wait to buy it… it might not be there later — we sell out!”
- Stegner, the chef behind Prairie Grass Cafe in suburban Northbrook, is the founding member of Green City. She was recently profiled in Crain’s. Her advice? Try to have a conversation with the farmer — ask them what’s in season and when they harvested the items they’re selling. She mentions a recent conversation about multi-color eggs. She learned the colors denote a different breed, and that chickens with access to pasture produce darker yellow yolks (Stegner feels the darker yolks produce a better taste): “Building a relationship with the people that grow our food by consistently supporting them and opening up a conversation that informs the consumer,” Stegner says.
- On a lighter note: keep moving. Most farmers markets are held in parks. If you’re on your phone, with your dog, or clogging up the walkways with a stroller, move. Be considerate. There’s usually a grassy patch of ground where those impromptu confabs can take place without being in the way.
- As a dad with a toddler, stroller etiquette fascinates me. There are entitled parents who feel they’re invulnerable and have the right to mow down anyone in their way. Then there are the parents in a rush and are literally on your heels trying to push through crowds. If you’re in a rush, then maybe get to the market early instead of acting like a toddler you’re pushing.
- That being said, folks without kids should respect the stroller. An “excuse me” goes a long way instead of pretending you’re at a crowded dive bar putting your shoulder down to get to your table. This isn’t a kid-free zone. Kids have more of a right to be in the park than adults. That’s just how society works, pal.
- If you’re able, biking to the farmers market is optimal on nice days. And it’s easier to hunt for parking spaces. Investing in a bike pannier is a wise move.
- For those who drive, finding parking isn’t easy. At Green City Market Lincoln Park, folks can buy two-hour parking at the Chicago History Museum parking lot. It’s $14 with a validation card available at all market entrances. The real hack? Buy admission to the museum for validation and spend the day indoors learning something new.
- Chef Rick Bayless suggests looking at markets as art fairs. Try to ask personable questions — instead of asking “How do you cook this,” Bayless suggests asking “Do you have a favorite way to prepare this” or “Is there anything you’re really excited to prepare this week?” Building relationships over time pays off. Last summer, Bayless says he asked Patrick Mark from Iron Creek Farm what he was excited about “He picked up one variety of tomato and said, ‘this: raw, salt and pepper.’ There’s so much learning in that! He was telling me that that one variety would never be better than that moment. Appreciate what nature has given us.”
- The demand for prepared foods increases each year. Soul & Smoke, an Eater Chicago 38 member, has parked its barbecue truck at Logan Square. The wife-and-husband team of Heather Bublick and D’Andre Carter repeated some of the previous tips (they suggest coming hungry). But they also suggest becoming regulars: “Go back often! Harvests change throughout the season. It’s so amazing to watch the progression from spring, to summer, late summer, and into fall.”
- Eden, which runs an Avondale restaurant off the Chicago River, is a new vendor at Green City in 2024. Chef Devon Quinn, who grows a garden outside the restaurant, is the operation’s chief culinary officer for Eden and Paramount Events. He suggests that folks should bring their own crates, reusable bags, and baskets. He also says to ask farmers about “seconds” — the ugly fruits and veggies. “They are perfectly suitable for salsas, fillings, or purées,” he says. In addition, he advises that customers shouldn’t insult farmers and try to barter: “If you want a discount on the produce, go to Aldi’s,” he says. “The growing methods and labor are expensive. You are paying for healthy ingredients and supporting our local economy.”
- Bonus: Don’t be this guy.