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Community Corner

PHOTOS: Despite Weather, Colorful Farmers Market Opens in Inver Grove Heights

Cool, wet conditions caused many growers to stay home, fewer selections for opening day

Despite dreary skies, a steady flow of customers showed up at opening day of the Inver Grove Heights Farmers Market to enjoy such fresh produce as turnips, radishes, sweet basil, cilantro, head lettuce, scallions and carrots.

The smell of strawberries filled the air at the market, and a vibrant display of colorful flowers and samples of fresh bread pleased visitors.

Because of the cold and wet conditions lately, there were only five growers and vendors at the Inver Grove Heights market this week. However, as many as 30 vendors are expected to attend the market in the next two weeks, according to Jack Gerten, the St. Paul Farmers Market manager.

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“There’s usually more, but they [the growers] were afraid of getting stuck in the fields,” Gerten explained. In Dakota County, for example, the two inches of rain that had recently fallen could potentially cause them to get trapped in mud.

“The rain hurts to a degree … but cool nights really hurt a lot [because] they stop growing," he added. "They need so many heat units to be able to grow just in one night. And if they don’t get that, it sets them back … The cloudy, cool weather stops them in their tracks.”

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Gerten predicted a much greater selection of locally-grown favorites in the coming weeks.

“Tomatoes—it will be a good month before you see them. Corn will be here in about three weeks—again, because of the weather,” he said. “Peppers and cucumbers [will be here in] two to three weeks. Zucchini, we should see shortly. We’ll start to see sweet corns to melons, and a variety of spinach and sweet peppers, in a few weeks. Provided we have 80-degree temperatures,” Gerten said.

The Farmers Market will be open from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays through Oct. 13 at the Veterans Memorial Community Center parking lot. Be sure to check out the Farmers Market of events that will be taking place in the coming weeks.

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