April Showers Bring May Farmers Markets

They say April showers bring May flowers, but for those of us who cook and create, they also bring the first real weeks of farmers' markets.

There’s something about spring markets that feels like a soft exhale. After months of root vegetables, freezer reserves, and quiet prep kitchens, May brings green things, longer days, and community.

I start to feel it around mid-April: the rain, the wind, the weird weather that swings from 70 to snow in a week. It makes me antsy in a good way. I think about pea shoots, basil, Hakurei turnips, and whether I’ve ordered enough flour. I check in with other vendors, test a new pasta shape, and tweak a sauce. The pace picks up. But it’s not frantic—it’s hopeful.

May means pulling out the tent, stacking the bins, packing pasta early in the morning while it’s still quiet. It means conversations at market tables- about meals, about spring, about what’s coming up next. It’s the reappearance of familiar faces and the joy of meeting new ones.

This year, I’m especially excited to bring back some staples and introduce a few new things: small-batch pasta, in-house sauces, and meal kits that reflect the season. Everything is handmade, locally rooted, and chef-driven. It’s food meant to be finished at home but always made with care.

So if you wander the aisles with coffee in hand, looking for what’s good this week, I’ll see you out there. And if you’re new to the markets, welcome. It’s a good place to be.

Because yes, April brings the rain. But May? May brings the people.