Downtown Albion farmers’ market debuts today

Photos by Tom Rivers – Tracy Van Skiver checks out the produce for sale in a new downtown farmers’ market that started today on East Bank Street in Albion. Van Skiver’s daughter Kaitlyn is helping as the cashier for Vendetti Farms. Ron Vendetti, the village code enforcement officer, is serving as a volunteer market coordinator.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Sundays in downtown Albion just got a little busier. A new farmers’ market opened today on East Bank Street near Main Street.

The goal: draw traffic to downtown Albion on what is often a slow day for merchants, while boosting access to locally grown produce.

So far there is only one farm participating but market coordinator Ron Vendetti said more farms are welcome to participate on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A farm owned by his brother Robert Vendetti in Murray is the lone farm in the market so far. But as farms approach the peak of the vegetable and fruit harvests, Ron Vendetti said there will be a variety of produce from farms, and he hopes they will come to Albion on Sunday mornings to sell it.

“We want to attract more people to downtown Albion on an underserved day,” said Vendetti, the village’s code enforcement officer.

If the market draws a crowd, Vendetti said several downtown merchants said they would open to customers.

The market will be open Sundays until late October. Other interested farms should call Vendetti at the village office at 589-7229.

He had hoped to open the market last month but he said the rainy weather delayed some of the crops. Vendetti Farms has corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and other vegetables for sale today.

Vendetti Farms is selling corn, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables.