Drake Neighborhood Farmers Market Begins

Despite gusting winds that occasionally challenged vendors with tents, the Drake Neighborhood Farmers Market had a comfortable day yesterday in which to open its 2007 season. Located on 25th Street just south of University on the city’s west side, this market is held Wednesdays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. now through September 26th, except for July 4th.

Swiss chard, mustard greens, radishes, and assorted lettuce are available now. One vendor had the first of Iowa’s strawberries and some zucchini.. The grower said zucchini has been ready to pick earlier in the past couple of years than historically. Of course, there was plenty of rhubarb and numerous baked goods.

The Drake area market is sponsored by First Christian Church, the Drake Neighborhood Association, and Drake University. It is held in the parking lot of the church. On opening day, Anderson Erickson served free lemonade, Drake University offered free blood pressure screenings, young children threw bean-bag “vegetables” through a hole, older children practiced soccer kicks aided by the Des Moines Menace, music was played, political activists advocated for family farms and against global warming, and the horses of the Des Moines Police Mounted Patrol showed off their riders. (Evidence on the sidewalk along 25th Street also suggests the horses were not wearing diapers.)

This is definitely a neighborhood market. It has a limited number of vendors but there is plenty of room to move around. (What else would be expected in Des Moines, where status is gained by the size of a building’s parking lot?) In addition to a variety of produce sellers, there was a man selling chickens and ducks, a woman with honey products, a few restaurants serving prepared food, and a crafts person offering woven baskets and bird houses. Plus, coming in from Urbandale to talk about back adjustments was Dr. Nicole Murphy of Yost Family Chiropractic.

Guest Author: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

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