Red Stick Farmers Market spruces up lineup with new Tuesday afternoon format

For the first time in its 25-year history, the Red Stick Farmers Market will begin offering an afternoon option to help attract new shoppers.

Starting with the April 19 market, the organization’s Tuesday market at the East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library on Goodwood will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 pm, says Darlene Rowland, executive director of BREADA, which runs the Red Stick Farmers Markets. An expanded number of vendors will set up in the courtyard in front of the library’s entrance, where patrons can enjoy shade, seating and regular family friendly programming.

“We reevaluated as a staff about how to reach more people with our markets,” Rowland says. “They’ve all taken place in the morning, and we wanted an option for working families and for people who can’t attend the other times.”

Previously, the market took place in the library’s parking lot with only a handful of vendors. Now the market will move to the interior plaza with 11 farmers and producers, including many who participate in the Thursday morning market at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

BREADA’s farmers markets are held year-round on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Fifth and Main Streets, and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The Tuesday market is held seasonally.

While the majority of farmers markets nationwide are held in the mornings, some take place in the late afternoon to reach different patrons. New Orleans’ Crescent City Farmers recently shifted its Thursday Mid-City market at Lafitte Greenway Plaza from morning to 3 to 7 p.m. About 30 vendors attend. Rowland said she met with organizers for tips on making the Tuesday market time change.

The Main Library has hosted the Tuesday Red Stick Farmers Market for many years, and its location in the center of town is promising for capturing more families on the go, and residents from surrounding neighborhoods, Rowland says. It’s also near the BREC Independence Park soccer fields and a number of schools and businesses. “We think it’s a good fit for an afternoon shift,” she says.

Plus, Rowland believes the library location reinforces the market’s goal of building community.

“It’s a great place for people to gather, and that’s what the farmers market is all about,” Rowland says. “You have access to a place to sit, bathrooms, the library, which is amazing. We also plan to do some programming there, like cooking demonstrations. And it’s a safe place for kids to run around.”

Here’s who you’ll find at the new Tuesday afternoon market:

Pick up locally harvested honey at the Tuesday afternoon market from Bocage Bee & Honey. Courtesy Red Stick Farmers Market.

Bocage Bee & Honey Company

Look for raw, varietal honeys and natural comb honey produced in Baton Rouge and surrounding area. The local company also sells skincare and bath products, including lotions and soaps made with brulee honey, beeswax, goat’s milk and other natural ingredients.

City Gelato

Try artisanal gelato and gelato cookie sandwiches from this local vendor. Many flavors are made with local produce.

Supper Solutions

Stop by to pick up something for dinner from Supper Solutions, including prepared meals, soups and baked goods, many of them for low-carb or keto diets.

MicroPharms

What started as a microgreens operation now also features kimchee made from microgreens and fresh radishes. The artisan food company’s Fried Chili Oil and Crunchy Garlic Oil are perfect for tossing on everything from proteins to veggies to noodle bowls, and its Asian Chicken Cajun Fry Mix is great for making hot chicken at home.

Yes, Chef

Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Daniel Thompson sells a variety of party dips, shrimp salad, pimento cheese and wildly popular chicken salad with dried cranberries, smoked almonds and scallions.

Frank Fekete Farm

This Hungarian Settlement farm is known for its steady variety of seasonal produce. In the spring, pick up strawberries, turnips, beets, scallions, spinach, kale, fennel and lots more.

Cutrer’s Meat Market

Find a wide variety of fresh cut pork and beef, bacon and several types of smoked sausage at this Kentwood family-operated meat market.

Bonnecaze Farms

A number of restaurants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge have fallen in love with this local miller’s stone ground products, including grits, polenta, cornmeal, corn flour, rice flour, fish fry and crimped oatmeal. It also sells preserves and pepper jelly, a signature seasoning blend and fresh baked cornbread.