Another Collingswood Farmers' Market Season in the (Reusable) Bag

Every Saturday for six months, shoppers in search of fresh produce, meat, cheese and local baked goods crowd the Collingswood Farmers’ Market. Customers turned out for one last day on Saturday before the farmers market packed up for the season.

Collingswood Farmers’ Market closed up shop at noon Saturday, not to reopen until the first Saturday in May. And while the crowd wasn’t as dense as a typical summer weekend, when nearby parking is at a premium and people pack the market stalls, plenty of shoppers came out for the 2011 swan song.

Many stalls saw brisk business on Saturday as customers picked over bushels of fall produce. Merchants reported a strong farmers market season in general, as berries and shorts and flip-flops gave way to root vegetables and scarves and peacoats.

“The best way to tell how we’ve done is to ask the merchants if they’re coming back next year,” said site director Dave Hodges, who organizes the farmers market with Betsy Cook. “And they’re all saying yes.”

The market had several new features this year, including manning the café area, the Brigantine-based Clam Daddy selling New Jersey littlenecks and a new blueberry farm.

The farmers market doesn’t keep data on overall sales, but Hodges said available spaces filled at a rapid rate. Several midseason replacements stepped in to take over from merchants whose wares are good for only a short window.

“We had a raspberry farm and even though their season is just a few weeks long, that spot was packed every week,” Hodges noted.

Collingswood’s owners, Ken and Gina Horlacher, also stepped in partway through the season.

The market “was a lot better than we thought it would be,” Gina Horlacher said. “The crowds are big, the customers are nice and it helps to get our name out there more.”

For others, the Collingswood Farmers’ Market is old hat. DanLynn Farms, an organic vegetable farm in Pedricktown, has been a market staple since 2004. Owner Lynn Lenco calls it “the best farmers marker in the state of New Jersey, hands down.”

“We have loyal customers and they really care about buying organic and supporting local farms,” Lenco said as she sold leafy greens Saturday. “Plus, they’re very vocal about what they’re looking for. Collingswood wants what Collingswood wants, and we can tailor our produce to customer demands.”

Now that the season is over, preparation for 2012 begins again almost immediately, Hodges said. He and Cook run the market as a part-time job, plus depend on several volunteers. The market is described on its website as “a project of the Borough of Collingswood” and relies on sponsorships, including those from local businesses and Camden County.

There are no plans for drastic changes for the market, which first opened a decade ago, Hodges said, but he does have a wish list.

“There are ways to make it better. I’d like to get new vendors with additional organic options and also offer a wider variety of seafood,” Hodges said.

Mark your calendars. May 5, 2012 is the first Saturday in May, the traditional opening to the farmers market season.

Nostalgic for warm weather and spring vegetables? Check out our coverage of the start of the 2011 Collingswood Farmers’ Market season at .