SEA BRIGHT: TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Some ravishing radishes are among the locally sourced  produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses and other food items on display (and avail. for sale), when the Sea Bright Farmers Market returns for a second season this Thursday, May 7.

Regular readers of redbankgreen know that the people of Sea Bright weren’t about to let a thing like Superstorm Sandy reduce their community to a found-footage footnote in someone’s disaster documentary — and perhaps nothing has signaled the spirit of what we might call Sea Bright Spring than the arrival of the borough’s Farmers Market, the second annual edition of which kicks off this Thursday, May 7.

Running (“in season” and weather cooperating) between the hours of 2 to 7 pm, Thursdays from now through September, the event commandeers the municipal parking lot at the town’s center for an offering sponsored by the Sea Bright Borough Council and its Sustainable Sea Bright Committee. It’s also a partnership with Community Green Market Organizers, a nonprofit organization that “assists local municipalities set-up farmers’ markets to support local food systems, connect shoppers directly with growers, and encourage social gathering and community building” — and it marks the start of a new go-to-market season for other boroughs around the greater Green.

From the press release issued by CGMO:

Hosting small family farms from throughout the region, the Market will again offer a bounty of locally grown fruit and produce, freshly baked bread and pastries, homemade jams and jellies, raw honey, locally roasted coffee and sweet and sour pickles.  New additions to the Market this year include pasture raised meats and poultry from Green Duchess Farm, farm fresh cheeses, yogurt and eggs from Central Valley Farm, Asian greens and fresh cut herbs from Holly Hill Farm, organic produce from Harvest Moon Farm and much more. The Market will also feature special events and host guest chefs who will offer tasty samples showcasing Jersey grown fruit and vegetables.   

For its kick-off event and in collaboration with Paint the Town Pink, the Market plans a “Pretty in Pink” theme for the month of May.  Be sure to come out on May 28th when the Market features gutsy gourmet columnist, seasonal produce fan and local chef Rachel Weston.  Chef Rachel will offer samples of a refreshing Rhubarb, Rose Petal and Pink Peppercorn Spritzer.  She will also share ideas on how to cook using rhubarb and offer tips on growing edible flowers. 

And throughout May, the Market will partner with Paint the Town Pink, a community-wide effort to raise awareness of the importance of annual mammography screening.  Volunteers will be on-site all month to share information about this initiative and distribute tickets for a market-filled basket that will be raffled on May 28th.            

Please be sure to visit Sea Bright Farmers Market on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@SB_FarmMarket) for a complete listing of weekly vendors and special events.  

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In a similarly spring-fresh vein, this coming Saturday, May 9 boasts the annual appearance of the Shrewsbury Garden Club‘s Gardener’s Market, going on between 8:30 am and 1:30 pm at the Borough Gazebo (outside Shrewsbury Borough Hall at 419 Sycamore Avenue). It’s an event that promises flats of spring annuals, vegetable and herbs, in addition to hanging baskets and a wide selection of perennials straight from SGC members’ home gardens. The club will also be holding its ever-popular Green Elephant Sale, featuring “gently used garden tools, books, containers, patio furniture and other outdoor treasures.”

Funds raised from the Gardener’s Market and Green Elephant Sale help support the SGC’s efforts to maintain the town’s gardens at Borough Hall, the Gazebo, the Shrewsbury Historical Society, and the Herb Garden at the historic Allen House. Take it here for up-to-the-minute updates — and keep an eye out for the imminent return of the Red Bank Farmer’s Market, running Sundays from mid-May to late November in the rear parking lot of the Galleria.