Fresh produce, new vendors and a full parking lot — Storm Lake’s Farmers’ Market returns Saturday with its biggest season yet.
The market opens June 13 from 8 a.m.-noon in Parking Lot C on Erie Street. Thursday markets begin June 18 from 4-6 p.m., and the season runs through October 10.
Market Manager Linda Patterson has overseen the market for more than a decade, and she says vendor interest this year is unlike anything she’s seen before.
Patterson is known for one signature ritual: she blows a whistle to officially start each market — a signal vendors and customers wait for. She says the Thursday crowd, especially, reacts immediately.
Nearly 20 vendors are expected this season, including four new additions offering homemade pickles, resin jewelry, cold‑brewed coffee and Mexican snacks and drinks. Returning vendors will bring early‑season vegetables, baked goods, honey, eggs, gluten‑free items and 3D‑printed products.
Patterson herself runs a table each week — usually stocked with quick breads, cookies, biscotti, coffee cakes and whole wheat bread.
As for the produce, Patterson says one of the biggest strengths of the market is transparency. Shoppers can ask growers directly about how their food is raised — and she says the answer is almost always the same.
She says the market also draws customers from beyond Storm Lake, especially those seeking Asian vegetables grown locally by several families.
For Patterson, the market is more than a place to shop. It’s a community she looks forward to seeing each summer.
Several vendors are certified through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to accept WIC and Senior FMNP coupons, which help income‑eligible families and older adults buy fresh, locally-grown produce. Market updates are posted on the Farmers’ Market Facebook page.
Patterson hopes residents — especially first‑timers — stop by this summer.
