Monongahela Farmers Market begins new season
It will run through late September with a variety of music and themed events.
The Monongahela Farmers Market held its opening day Friday, starting a season that will continue until September.
Emily Laurine, owner of LA!LA! Lemonade in Washington, squeezes fresh lemons for made-to-order lemonade at her vendor stand during the Monongahela Farmers Market. Jeff Helsel / Mon Valley Independent
Everything from fresh produce to handmade art could be found at the Chess Park location. This is the fifth year that it’s being run by the Monongahela Area Revitalization Corporation.
“Residents can take a bus, Mid Mon Valley Transit. They can grab it anywhere in the Valley and come down,” MARC President George Eckert said. “One of the hardest things down here is parking, but people do find a place. The bus stop is on the other side (of Chess Park), heading north, and it stops right there. Headed south, picks you up, takes you back.
“Some people come down from Charleroi, so it’s
Samantha Shoemaker, owner of Grain & Grackle bakery in Donora, poses with an assortment of baked goods at her vendor booth during the Monongahela Farmers Market at Chess Park on Friday afternoon. Shoemaker’s bakery specializes in handcrafted Pennsylvania Dutch-style baked goods made with locally sourced ingredients. Jeff Helsel / MVI
nice. We had people in today from Bethel Park. I know some people come in from Monessen. One family was coming in from Canonsburg.”
The farmers market will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. every Friday until Sept. 25. Eckert said Mon Valley Academy for the Arts is helping to bring bands to the market with a grant from EQT, and music will be featured every Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Several themed days are planned:
• June 19 will be Wild Animal Day.
• June 26 is Kids Day.
• July 3 is USA 250!
• July 24 will be Ethnic Food Day.
• Aug. 7 will be Touch-a-Truck Day. Harden Family Farm and Market is one of the oldest vendors at the event, offering a wide selection of fruits, vegetables and other items. Fred McConn, owner of Harden Family Farm, said they take pride in the quality of produce they sell.
“Everything we sell is Pennsylvania- grown, but with the freeze and stuff this winter and this spring, there is no fruit in Pennsylvania this year,” McConn said. “The Chambersburg peaches were all frozen out, the apricots, cherries, sweet and sour, it all froze out.”
They’re based out of Fredericktown and can be found on Facebook under “Harden Family Farm and Market.”
Another produce vendor, Rabbit Hollow Farm, owned by LJ Kahl and Brandon Swiech, features another special selection of produce such as baby bok choi, garlic scapes, maple syrup and even goat’s milk soap.
Kahl said that they started coming to the farmers’ market in 2021 and have enjoyed being a part of it every year since.
“We got started in 2021 when the MARC organization took over, so this is our fifth season,” Kahl said. “It’s been fun to grow with the market and kind of find our niche, and we have regulars now. It’s a really good feeling, and we feel like we have our footing secure more now as a business.”
Kahl emphasized the importance of supporting local farmers and businesses.
“This is an incredibly difficult and almost impossible way to make a living,” she said. “So if you like the idea of local farmers, you need to spend money on them, and then they will exist. People should come support their local farmers markets, because it’s really good for communities and especially folks like us, smaller farmers.
“We are really happy to talk about produce and how to use it in ways that maybe you’re not familiar with, and I keep a binder of recipes handy, so when somebody is like, ‘What do you do with kale?’ I’m like, ‘I have 30 different recipes for you.’” Jerome and Son’s, owned by Jerome Long Jr. and Chad Long, was quite busy selling a variety of sauces. Chad Long said sauce making has been a family business for many years.
“My dad owned a barbecue business across the river in Gallatin for 40 years, and my grandmother started the sauce, probably 60 to 70 years ago, and we’re just trying to continue the family legacy and the tradition,” Chad Long said.
He added that they started with 500 jars of sauce Friday and by 4 p.m. were left with only 30. They are well known in the Mon Valley for their long history in the region.
Jerome Long Jr. said that they’re hoping to fill a void left in the community after their father, Jerome Long Sr., retired.
“Our barbecue sauce is three generations; our grandfather did it back in the ’60s and ’70s, and our dad was a legend in this area for 40 years,” Jerome Long Jr. said. “He retired about 10 years ago, and I would say that there’s been a void for the camaraderie and the community, and we’re just trying to bring that back and bring some good memories and make some new memories.”
A variety of baked goods was available from both Grain & Grackle Bakery and The Northern Bread LLC. Northern Bread LLC specializes in different types of sourdough bread and expects to be at the farmers’ market every Friday through September.
Grain & Grackle Bakery, owned by Samantha Shoemaker and based out of Donora, has an offering of fresh-baked goods made with locally sourced ingredients. Shoemaker said she wants to serve as a resource for the Donora community.
They also offer vegan baked goods and will be at the Monongahela Farmers Market every Friday.
For those who need a nice refreshment on a hot summer day, LA!LA! Lemonade sells freshly squeezed lemonade. Owner Emily Laurine said they have several flavoring options for their drinks.
“We’ve had two weeks in Washington, and this is our first day in Monongahela,” Laurine said. “Next week, we start in Canonsburg. Honestly, out of all three. This (Monongahela) is my favorite because it’s so open, the band. It’s a good family environment.”
