Lewes Farmers Market offers early summer produce May 17

The Historic Lewes Farmers Market celebrates the early summer produce season with a fabulous market Saturday, May 17. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon on the grounds of the Lewes Historical Society at 110 Shipcarpenter St. at the corner of West Third and Shipcarpenter streets.  The HLFM is the largest producer-only market in Delaware, again named Best Farmers Market by Delaware Today.

At the market, the very best of late spring and early summer produce will be on sale. The cool, damp spring has yielded scrumptious lettuces, tender asparagus, and hundreds of other fresh products available to patrons this Saturday. Vendors also will delight patrons with a wide variety of produce, meat, chicken, lamb, dairy products and more. Specific types and varieties of fresh meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, flowers, and plants are listed by vendor in the HLFM newsletter sent to patrons on the first Thursday of the month during the market season.

Newsletters the remainder of the month will highlight featured vendors and selected produce. To receive the HLFM newsletter, email historiclewesfarmersmarket@comcast.net and to be added to the HLFM subscription list.

Be sure to welcome two new vendors: Herbs, Spice, Everything Nice and Chesapeake Organic.

This week’s market has two terrific demonstrations.  First, at 9 a.m., Aaron Berg, executive chef of Lewes’s The Buttery Restaurant, will create something wonderful based on market vendors’ products. Berg is a native of Alaska who began his career as a chef at the age of 19, moving from dishwasher to sous chef in less than a year.  He then apprenticed under three- and four-star-level chefs before beginning work as a chef at Alaskan North Slope oil field camps.

After his daughter’s birth and a year at the Embassy Suites in Anchorage, Berg moved to Delaware to positions with a number of Pennsylvania and Maryland establishments. Now at The Buttery, Berg utilizes his skills and passion for fresh, locally sourced seasonal and creative cuisine.

At 10:30, Diana O'Hagan of Lewes in Bloom will educate market patrons on “Colonial Bug Repellent Herbs: Beyond Lavender and Marigold.” An avid gardener since childhood, O'Hagan retired to Lewes after a career in healthcare research and now devotes her time and energy to gardening. She quickly found a home in Lewes in Bloom, serving on its board of directors, and a fascination with the Fisher-Martin House Herb Garden.

Over the past six years under the mentorship of Lewes in Bloom veteran Brenda Brady, O'Hagan has learned the lore and science of herbs grown in this Colonial herb garden. Today the garden contains up to 80 different herbs used in the Colonial Period for culinary, medicinal, household, bug repellant and dyeing activities as well as a Native American section highlighting local area herbs and plants used by indigenous people. The garden has recently become a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the Delaware Nature Society and the National Wildlife Federation, and O'Hagan now is working toward its recognition as a Certified Butterfly Garden by North American Butterfly Association.

As part of the HLFM’s mission to educate children about healthy eating and nutrition, the Children’s Reading Program will continue to be offered. While the adults are learning about fine cooking and natural insect control, at 9 a.m. children can delight in hearing Maureen Miller, children’s librarian from the Lewes Public Library, reading "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss. This classic tale, continuously in print since its initial publication in 1945, has delighted generations of readers. The hero, a little boy, plants a carrot seed even though he is told by everyone that it won’t grow.  The boy takes care of his carrot seed, though. Come hear whether the hero grows the carrot despite the naysayers.

The market will continue to process SNAP (EBT Food Stamps). To help lower economic barriers to local, healthy food, the HLFM will match up to $10 with HLFM Bonus Bucks.  SNAP participants are encouraged to go to the SNAP Information Tent at the market to redeem the Bonus Bucks incentive.

The Historic Lewes Farmers Market has a policy that pets (with the exception of service animals) are not permitted at the market.

Consistent with its mission, the HLFM Board of Directors is committed to supporting farmers and emerging farmers who grow local fruits, vegetables and produce.

More information about the market is available at www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org. Find them on Facebook too.  Questions? Email historiclewesfarmersmarket@comcast.net.