Two farmers' markets to sprout Downtown

Business breakup results in competition, with Nationwide helping set up new site

Tuesday,  June 3, 2008 3:09 AM

By Monique Curet

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The annual Pearl Alley farmers' market opens today, but with a different group of farmers and an expanded lineup of items for sale.

 

The farmers' group that pioneered the Downtown warm-weather market is setting up shop elsewhere because of a disagreement with the market's sponsors. Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, which holds the permit for the market, and the farmers' group could not agree on the location of produce and general-merchandise booths and parted ways late last year.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/0603/pearl_alley.ART_ART_06-03-08_C10_9OACOVJ.html?sid=101

I've always liked that Pearl Alley Farmers' Market.  Didn't get to the opening yesterday but numerous posters to Columbus Underground did.  Their posts are at http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14573. 

 

Here's the location map of the two farmers' markets to be in downtown Columbus this year from the Dispatch article:

 

 

Glad to see the Growers Association that left Pearl Alley found another location downtown.  Looks like they're going to that triangular patch of grass Nationwide owns at Nationwide & High.  Partnering with Nationwide should be a plus for them.  Hope it works out for them.

 

From here: http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14750

 

So, I just got back from the Pearl Market, and I had to sit right down and tell everyone to get there on their lunch break for some Nellie's Samosas.  I am always lamenting our lack of street food here in Cbus, so when I saw the samosas I was excited. 

 

The samosas are fried fresh and they have this amazingly arromatic spice blend, and are only slightly spicy.  There's a nice little hot aftertaste, but the chai cooled it right down.  I had the meat version, but they also have a vegetarian version.  They are served with lemon wedges which they encourage you to squeeze over the pastry.

 

inside:

 

They also have freshly made iced chai which is very good.  The woman in line in front of me said it tasted just like the chai in India.  It was spicy and not too sweet, strong on the tea and refreshing.  I am sure it will be welcome on days when it is really sweltering.

 

2 palm-sized samosas are $4, Iced Chai was $2.50, so the snack (which could be lunch for some) was $6.50.  totally worth it for the homemade treats.  And if you are scared to buy, they have tiny little sample-sized samosas.

 

Please support small upstarts like this!  They make our city a better place!

 

Nellie's Samosa's stand is located just north of Ringside, on the same side of the alley

Market watch

By Brittany Kress

Columbus Alive - July 17, 2008

 

Although the alley between Rhodes Tower and the Broad & High building has hosted a summer market for years, this year's market has different vendors and a few different offerings.  The change comes after Capital Crossroads, which manages the market, parted with the Pear Alley Growers' Association, which lined up farmers to sell there.  The two groups went their separate ways after disagreements over things like the location of produce and general-merchandise booths.  The Pearl Alley Growers' Association and many of its farmers, in turn, relocated to a new market near Nationwide, which debuted last Thursday.  The Nationwide-Pearl Alley Growers market is smaller and more serene, with 10 vendors set up in a row along the grassy space at the northwest corner of High Street and Nationwide Boulevard, said market manager Marcy Musson.

 

 

Read more at http://columbusalive.com/?sec=living&story=alive/2008/0717/s-window.html

Farmers' markets enable pros to find affordable, flavorful produce for diners

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

BY JILL LASTER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Not much excites Tony Miller the way eggplants at the North Market do. Except maybe tomatoes.  "You come down and go, 'Ooh, ooh, ooh,' " said Miller, the chef at Latitude 41 in the Columbus Renaissance hotel since it opened in 2006.  Miller and other chefs seek the best ingredients for their dishes.  In central Ohio, many trust farmers' markets for the freshest tasting, most interesting and, in some cases, least expensive fruits and vegetables.  Miller buys produce from such markets almost exclusively during the summer -- especially in June and July, the peak season for tomatoes, sweet corn, green peppers and some other choices. To gauge how a pro prepares for his kitchen creations, The Dispatch recently went grocery shopping with Miller.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/food/stories/2008/07/30/5_CHEF30.ART_ART_07-30-08_E1_TNARC7F.html?sid=101

From here: http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=779

 

<b>What can $10 at the North Market get you?</b>

 

On Saturday, Anne & I dropped by the <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/">North Market</a> to pick up a few items. We got there around 3:30, and only one of the farmer's market vendors were still open outside. If you want the best selection you've got to get there between 8am and 10am. I was actually sort of surprised they were still there past noon.

 

Anyway, we walked over to see what they were offering, and the guy at the booth quickly sold us on what he called "gourmet sized" eggplants and potatoes. He rambled off a few recipe ideas and described a candlelit dinner for us. How can you turn down a salesman like that? The best part was the fact that a pound of eggplants and a pound of potatoes only ran us $2.75. Quite the steal for fresh locally grown products.

 

We wandered inside the market to pick up a few other things. I was in the mood for some <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/merchants/merchant_detail.php?m=Jeni%27s+Fresh+Ice+Creams">Jeni's</a> (single scoop of Backyard Mint that I shared with Desi) while Anne got a <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/merchants/merchant_detail.php?m=Bubbles+Tea+%26amp%3B+Juice+Company">Bubble Tea</a>. We also picked up two ready-to-eat BBQ chicken breasts from the <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/merchants/merchant_detail.php?m=North+Market+Poultry+and+Game">North Market Poultry & Game</a> counter. They were $8 together, which is more expensive than if we were to buy them uncooked, but neither of us were really in the mood for cooking chicken. The guy also threw in several mini wings and drumsticks too, which made for a nice pre-dinner snack.

 

Lastly, we stopped by the <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/merchants/merchant_detail.php?m=The+Greener+Grocer">Greener Grocer</a> to pick up a few items. I grabbed some asparagus to make later this week and Anne got some locally grown cherries and a few other fruits.

 

Later in the evening, we decided to grill the eggplant and boil the potatoes to go with the re-heated chicken. I always love looking at the great professional food photography at <a href="http://www.columbusfoodie.com/">ColumbusFoodie.com</a>, <a href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/">Sopressata</a>, <a href="http://www.restaurantwidow.com/">RestaurantWidow.com</a>, and all of the other wonderful local food blogs, so I decided to take some photos of what we made to post here. The results were a bit lackluster since our dining room lighting isn't very bright, and our meal was actually somewhat colorless to begin with:

 

<img src="http://walker.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/img_2316.JPG" alt="Dinner" />

 

I will say that it turned out great though. We only used some of the veggies, so all in all this locally-grown dinner prepared from North Market ingredients only ran us $10 total. The North Market is more commonly known as a high-end specialty grocer, but it's actually fairly easy to shop there cheaply too.

 

<b>Bonus!</b>

 

Anne decided to whip up a quick dessert of fresh local cherries from the market, Cool Whip, and a large chunk of Snickerdoodle from <a href="http://www.pattycakeveganbakery.com/">Pattycake</a> that I purchased the day before. Delicious! And a little bit more photogenic too:

 

<img src="http://walker.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/img_2314.JPG" alt="Desert" />

Farmers' market to open Downtown on May 19

Thursday,  April 23, 2009 - 6:39 AM

The Columbus Dispatch

 

Pearl Market, the Downtown market for farmers and merchants, will reopen in Pearl and Lynn alleys on May 19.  "Customer and vendor demand" prompted the market to open a month early this year, the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District said in a news release.  The market will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday through October.  It will feature an average of 40 vendors who sell everything from fresh vegetables and plants to handcrafted jewelry.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/04/23/brfarmer.html?sid=101

Looking forward to some of that delicious gretna grilling cheese from Blue Jacket Dairy. :D

Pearl Market opens Tuesday

Business First of Columbus

Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 9:03am EDT

 

City officials, including Mayor Michael Coleman, are scheduled to gather Tuesday morning to mark the return of an increasingly popular seasonal farmers’ market tucked away on Pearl Alley downtown.  The fifth season of the Pearl Market is set to open a month earlier than usual, the city said, to meet customer and vendor demand.  The market stretches through the alley that connects Broad and Gay streets, and includes merchants that sell produce, baked goods and other foods as well as clothing and crafts.

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/daily11.html?surround=lfn

Downtown farmers market opens new season

 

Neat one minute video on the opening day of the Pearl Alley Market.  Looks like today's great weather brought out a big crowd.

 

VIDEO: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/multimedia/video/index.html?maven_playerId=dispatchvideo&maven_referralObject=5175199

Market time: Customers anticipate crops grown by area farmers

Wednesday,  June 3, 2009

By Robin Davis, The Columbus Dispatch

 

The two hottest words in food today?  Local and seasonal.  Food bought from farm markets and pick-your-own farms engages consumers in both.  For many people, eating locally grown produce provides a prime reason for patronizing farm markets.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/food/stories/2009/06/03/market.html

 

And a neat interactive map of farmers' markets located in central Ohio:  FARMERS MARKETS MAP

Nice little video about the Pearl Market near Broad and High in downtown Columbus from the group running it at http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/.

Farmers, produce begin weekly visits to UA, Grandview

Farmers markets will set up each Wednesday in Upper Arlington and every Saturday in Grandview

By DONAVON CAMPBELL, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS

Published: Monday, June 29, 2009 - 4:37 PM EDT

 

The Pearl Alley Growers' Association is set for another season of bringing truly fresh produce and goods to market in Grandview and Upper Arlington.  Beginning Wednesday, July 8, the growers' association will set up shop from 4 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Mallway on Arlington Avenue.

 

The growers' association will begin its weekly Saturday visits to Grandview Avenue at Second Avenue shortly thereafter from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11.  The markets run through the end of October in Upper Arlington and the end of September in Grandview Heights.

 

For more information on the Pearl Alley Growers' Association and when and where you can find their farmers markets, visit the Web site www.pearlalleygrowers.com.

 

Read more at http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2009/07/03/tri-village_news/news/tvalltvuaf_20090629_1048am_1.txt

From http://www.columbusunderground.com/pearl-market-to-run-through-the-winter-months

 

Pearl Market to Run Through The Winter Months

The seasonal Pearl Market that takes place Downtown every summer is expanding to run an indoor Winter Market starting in November.  The new market will be held inside the building located at 20 East Broad Street, next to Pearl Alley where the summer market takes place.  The same hours of operation will be in effect: Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30am through 2:00pm.  The Winter Market will run from November 3rd to February 26th, 2010.

North Market on rising trend

Now self-sustaining, the market thrives on blend of mom-and-pop businesses focusing on local food

Monday,  February 15, 2010 - 2:58 AM

By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch

 

In the year Columbus opened a glitzy Downtown shopping mall, officials also decided to move the city's last surviving public market from an old metal shed into an even older vacant warehouse.  Two decades later, the City Center Mall and high-end retailers such as Marshall Field's and Godiva are long gone.  The marble and chrome were hauled away months ago.  Bulldozers are scooping up what's left of its shell.

 

About a mile away, the North Market enters its 138th year, riding the crest of a national trend toward locally grown, locally produced food.  It's also enjoying perhaps its most solid financial outlook ever.  An enterprise that once feared getting crowded out by a new convention center, new arena and other development in and around the Short North has become a big attraction on its own, drawing well over 1 million visitors a year.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/15/North_Market.ART_ART_02-15-10_A1_78GJACO.html?sid=101

Indoor farmers

Pearl Alley's winter market has promising start in first season

Friday,  February 26, 2010 - 2:46 AM

By Tracy Turner, The Columbus Dispatch

 

Downtown's winter Pearl Market, housed since November in a former bank at 20 E. Broad St., ends its initial, experimental season today.  Its sponsors are calling it a success and hope it will continue long after the two-year operating grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is depleted.  The market has generated more consumer traffic than its organizers expected, said Adam Schroeder, who manages the market.

 

"The market had spaces for 30 vendors, and all the spaces were filled, and there was a waiting list of vendors who wanted to rent space," Schroeder said.  "November and December really exceeded our expectations in terms of the number of people who came out to shop the market."  The winter market was in the building right next door to Pearl Alley, where the outdoor farmers' market is held from May to October.

 

The Downtown market is run by Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, a nonprofit group run by Downtown businesses.  The winter market was awarded a $61,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farmers Market Promotion program, which allowed it to operate this year and next.  Schroeder said that, based on the success of the market, it will return next winter.  However, it will have to find a new home because its building is to be turned into a hotel, Hotel Indigo.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/02/26/indoor-farmers.html?sid=101

Fresh food, socializing at farmers’ markets

Sunday,  May 23, 2010

By Catherine Candisky

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Farmers’ markets are springing back in a big way, and dark skies and a threat of rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm yesterday.  Just 4 miles apart on High Street, the Clintonville and Worthington farmers’ markets drew thousands of shoppers.  Both opened this month.

 

Renee Hall, 36, visits the Worthington market at least once a month, drawn by the fresh produce, meats, cheeses and baked goods; a desire to support local businesses and the sense of community.  “We come to see what they have,” she said.  “We like the fresh meats and cheeses and have gotten to know some of the producers.”

 

LOCATION MAP

 

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/23/fresh-food-socializing-at-farmers-markets.html?sid=101

From Columbus Underground:

 

The Market at 15th & High Kicks Off This Week

 

A new farmers market will be starting up their inaugural season this Thursday afternoon in the OSU campus area.  The Market at 15th & High is being presented by The Wexner Center and Wayward Seed Farm. 

 

It will run every Thursday from 4 to 7pm from May 27th through October 28th on the outdoor plaza in front of the Wexner Center.  The market will be the largest of its kind in the University District and will feature locally grown produce and other items from around a dozen farmers.

 

More information can be found online at www.wexarts.org.

Two-part article on Local Yokel, bringing the farmers market to your home via delivery service:

 

<b>Locals Can Turn to Yokel for Fresh Foods</b>

By Melanie McIntyre | August 6, 2010 8:00am

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/localyokelfoods1.jpg">

 

After living in five states over seven years, Josh Goodson has returned to Central Ohio −where he was born and raised− and launched a food delivery service specializing in local and organic produce, breads, dairy products, meats, and specialty items.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/locals-can-turn-to-yokel-for-fresh-foods

 

<b>Local Yokel is Passionate About Fresh Foods, Environmental Responsibility</b>

Business Profiles — By Melanie McIntyre on August 6, 2010 at 8:00 am

 

<img src="http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/wp-content/themes/yamidoo/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/localyokel.jpg&w=390&h=228&zc=1">

 

Two months ago, homegrown entrepreneur Josh Goodson started a food delivery service specializing in local and organic produce, breads, dairy products, meats and specialty items, like veggie burgers, jam, and salsa.

 

READ MORE: http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/local-yokel-passionate-fresh-foods-environmental-responsibility/