Kay Ruzicka, under umbrella, grows vegetables 70 miles north of Lincoln near Rogers. Ruzicka says she has brought
her produce to the market for eight years.
Alicia Perez, from Sioux City,
Iowa, cradles Diablo, a 2-year
old Chihuahua. Diablo,
weighing in at 11/2 pounds,
won the smallest dog
competition at a dog show last
weekend.
Shoppers reap profits of market
By Shane Tucker
Staff Reporter
Onions, zucchini, hand-woven mgs
and live entertainment may not be
typical inner-city fare. But Lincoln’s
Haymarket district isn’t a typical in
ner city.
(fee produce and .prov
ince combine to form Lincoln’s only
public market, the Farmers’ Market.
Market manager Billene Nemec
said the old-fashioned market was
enjoying its ninth year of increasing
in Lincoln’s historic
. l-air market, located at the
comer of Seventh and P streets, is
open from mid-May to mid-October
laymarket district.
trom 8:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
Nemec said the market began as a
project to help revitalize the
Haymarket district. The Historic
Haymarket Board sponsors the mar
ket, which was originally designed as
a tourist attraction.
.f, Today.the market functions npt as
ft sideshow but as a feature attraction,
market coordinator SallyOglesby said.
“We’re fulfilling a need,” she said.
“It definitely benef ts the Haymarket,
but the city really uses it.”
In fact, Oglesby said, the city uses
it to the tune of $2 million to $3
million a year, thanks to the market’s
many faithful customers. Last week
the market had one of its better days
with almost 8,000 customers, she said.
Oglesby said part of the market’s
appeal was the personal relationship
between customers and vendors.
Dorothy Conrad agreed. Conrad, a
three-year veteran of the market, sells
hf nri, jelliei and quilts.
“I started selling at the market
because of the farming crisis, but I’ve
continued because of the people,”
Conrad said.
The market’s vendors, coming from
a 100-mile radius, sell home-grown
fruits, vegetables, flowers and an as
sortment of handmade wares. For the
vendors, Oglesby said, it’s more than
-M
I started setting at the market because of the
farming crisis, but I’ve continued because of the
people.
— Conrad
Farmers' Market vendor
*** — mm
—
a hobby; it's a small business.
“They have acres grown just to
bring here. This is their livelihood,”
Oglesby said.
The vendors pay a stall fee to sell
their wares — $150 before Jan. 31,
$230 after that, and $ 12 a week during
the season. These fees are used to pay
for advertising and entertainment.
The entertainment at the market is
as diverse as the products sold. An
assortment of jazz, blues, juggling
and clog dancing serve to amuse cus
tomers as they browse through the
various booths.
Mary Fenton of Lincoln said she was going away tor the
weekend and didn't want to arrive empty handed. Fresh-baked
goodies were her solution.
Setters and buyers of fresh vegetables, baked goods, and handicrafts gather each Saturday
morning In front of the train station at Seventh and Q Streets
.
Photos by William Lauer