Fridley Farmer's Market

I don’t go often, but I love the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market—its’ busy hectic throng of people weaving in and out of rows upon rows of vegetables and flowers, crafts and fruits. Music can be heard, pottery can be held, and eating a loaded hot dog at 7:00am is perfectly acceptable. Though more spectacle than urban farm experience, it is never the less a popular and exciting way to buy your veggies for the week.

I was delighted to hear Fridley would launch our own Farmer’s Market this year and went to see what was there.

Located in the back lot of the Fridley Community Center, it is open every Saturday from 9:00-3:00pm through October 31st. It is organized in partnership with Minnesota Grown, spearheaded by a woman named Emann and her husband Hassan, Fridley residents of 15 years.

I pulled up to see less than half a dozen vendors. Tables of jars of honey, handmade soaps, olives, plants, jewelry and vegetables made neat formations to make a small, but quaint meet. Their tents struggled to stay up, blossoms waved uncontrollably in the wind.

A formidably built woman, organizer Emann greeted me warmly. Cinnamon complected, she was smartly dressed with an elegant silk hijab upon her head, smelling of sandalwood and jasmine. She was immensely pleasant and animated, covering the gamut from recipes for cabbage and apple slaw, the additional goods to be offered soon, and educating me about our honey bee population in Minnesota (I was given free seed packages of plants the bees will like).

Emann clearly had a passion to grow the Market, but more than that, she also exuded great satisfaction for what was already there (which admittedly, wasn’t much). But the current limitations didn’t seem to bother her. And maybe it shouldn’t, for as our metropolitan Farmer’s Markets get bigger and flashier, they ironically get farther away from the ideal on which they were founded on; an equal opportunity for small growers who love what they do, to sell their crops to compete with large grocers (many “stands” now are simply reps for larger businesses).

I was there for about 40 minutes and while it was never crowded, a trickle of people steadily came by.

As for me, I went home with cartons of wrinkled olives in salty brine, and fists full of romaine, spinach, cilantro and radishes (all my vegetables were only $5.00!). I was told the vegetables will be more varied as their crops develop and will also include flowers. Maybe not as “exciting” as Minneapolis, it was never the less a feel-good and community oriented way to get my veggies for the week.

When leaving, Emann encouraged me in cadenced voice to tell all of my friends who are ambitious home gardeners to get in touch with her! Be part of Fridley Farmer’s Market! Everyone is welcome!

I think I will.

Emann is looking for backyard garden goods, handcrafted items of all types, and youth interested in learning how to produce and sell their wares. She can be reached at [email protected]