Brainerd, Minnesota Weekly Interest and News

Brainerd Lakes Area Farmers Market
Updated June 16, 2008
Laura Hasse

One of the perks of visiting or living in the Brainerd Lakes Area is the food…especially the locally grown produce and meats. The best place to pick up fresh groceries is at the Brainerd/Baxter Lakes Area Growers’ Market.

Here you will find everything you need for your cooking and grilling plans. You can get high quality fresh food right off the farm. There are vegetables, flowers, herbs, spices, meats and fruits that you can choose from. The selection depends on the season and weather, so if you stop by more than once, you’ll find new fruits and vegetables that may not have been there the week before. All the products are grown within a 50 mile radius and there is a vast variety of vegetables, meat and herbs to choose from.

The farmers themselves, daughters and sons run the stands and have recipes ready to hand out. You’ll find the secret to Fried Squash Blossoms, Russian Swiss Chard Soup and Green Bean Salad with Mint. All of the main ingredients are right there so you can take them home and start cooking.

Open Tuesdays at the Franklin Arts Center Parking Lot and Fridays at the Gander Mountain Parking Lot from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The market runs from Mid-May to Mid-October and the selection depends on the time of year and weather.

Below are just some of things you can pick up.

Fruits & Vegetables:	Other:
Lettuce	Flowers
Cucumbers	Herbs
Tomatoes	Spices
Cherry Tomatoes	Recipes
Rhubarb	Honey
Raspberries	Eggs
Blueberries	Baked Goods
Jellies and Jams	Buffalo Meat
Italian Grapes
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Pickles
Sweet Corn
Canning Tomatoes
and much more...

 

Some of the many Vendors & Farms represented at the Market :
A & J's Up North Buffalo Ranch Jolaine & Randy Johnson Buffalo Meat 3007 52nd St. SW Pequot Lakes, MN 56472 218.568.8606	Borden Road Farm Market Winston/Jack Borden Plants, Berries, Veggies, Eggs, & Chicken 24966 Old Mill Road Merrifield, MN 56465 218.232.0848	Brambling Rows Berry Farm John & Ruth Jansen Plants, Berries, Veggies 8754 Cook Road Brainerd, MN 56401 218.829.3241
Nancy Caspers Herb & Bedding Plants 7678 300th Ave. Pierz, MN 56364 320.468.6575	Ruth Gilbertson Veggies & Baked Goods 5525 County Road 9 Brainerd, MN 56401 218.829-8181	Great River Gardens Joe Riehle Fresh Produce & Landscaping 43507 US Hwy 169 Aitkin, MN 56431 218.927.2521
Phi Hanson Honey 42504 294th Lane Aitkin, MN 56431 218.927.3010	Janis La Borde Asparagus 225454 Kettle Rd Pierz, MN 56364 320.468.0110	Wayne Murray Veggies 18446 Smith Toad Brainerd, MN 56401 218.825.7181
Verna Olson Raspberries 3010 County Rd 2 SE Brainerd, MN 56401 218.829.8080	Carla Scripture Cut Flowers 33710 Timberlane Rd Motley, MN 56466 218.352.9202	Mike & Eloise Thorson Vegetables 39157 County Rd 79 Browerville, MN 56438 218.894.3071

The current Farmer's Market Managers are Jolaine Johnson (A & J's Up North Buffalo Ranch) and Ruth Gilbertson. If you have any questions regarding the Market, including information about selling your farm-fresh goods, please contact Jolaine at 218.568.8606 or Ruth at 218.829.8181.

Farmers Market Schedule:
Every Tuesday	Franklin Arts Center Parking Lot	9:00am - 1:00pm
Every Friday	Gander Mountain Parking Lot	9:00am - 1:00pm
From Mid-May to Mid-October and the selection depends on the time of year and weather.

*Above are examples of some of the things you will find. The selection and farms represented change each week depending on weather and season.