“We like to run our market as a family, so it’s from our family to your family,” Brady said.
“It’s a time when the variety of apples astounds, cabbages are in all their glory, broccoli is king, and you'll see parsnips, carrots and beets galore…wonderful fall lettuces, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and gourds.”
-- Market Master Sarah Jane Brady
The peaches are gone from market and tomatoes are nearing the end of their summer run. In their stead, however, are the hues and textures of the fall harvest…pumpkins, new-season apples and cider, root vegetables, broccoli, gourds and winter squash, and hardy cool-weather flowers.
The Vienna Farmers’ Market—on Church Street, in the caboose parking lot—is transitioning from summer harvest to fall specialties, all this under sunny blue skies and crisp air. If you’ve been waiting for that first seasonal bite of crunchy, juicy locally-grown apples, now is your time.
“Fall harvest is my favorite season,” said Market Master Sarah Jane Brady. “It’s a time when the variety of apples astounds, cabbages are in all their glory, broccoli is king, and you'll see parsnips, carrots and beets galore…wonderful fall lettuces, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and gourds.”
Brady remarked that it is this time of year—fall—that pork is extra-flavorful. “Fall is an inspirational time for the cook who can make creative pies, breads, jams and tarts from root vegetables and fruits,” Brady said.
Pumpkin prices range from $2 for a tiny one to approximately $5 for a medium-sized one. Larger ones may be priced by the pound. Chestnuts are now falling off their trees at Kuhn’s orchards, and are sold at $6 a pint. Around the Vienna market, early-season varieties of apples in shades of red, blush and green are showing up and are priced starting at about $2 a pound. Butternut squash is around $1 a pound and sweet potatoes are selling in the $2 a pound price range.
The Vienna Farmers’ Market runs through the last Saturday in October, and is closed during Oktoberfest on June 6. The market, operated by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, is open from 8a.m. to noon. For information on the market and updates on weekly focuses, go to www.viennafarmersmarket.com
