5 surprising finds at the Westside Farmers Market in Rochester
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Farmers Markets have become an integral part of life in communities around the Rochester area, with each one having its own personality and offerings. This summer, we're visiting the four markets in the city of Rochester to find what's unique.
Our first stop: the Westside Farmers Market, which takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Monica's Church, 831 Genesee St., roughly a mile from the University of Rochester. It is held from early June to mid-October, and volunteer manager Jackie Farrell takes pride that the market has never missed a scheduled day since 2008.
"We are a constant positive in our neighborhood," Farrell said. "We are doing so much to build the community and to keep people nutritionally informed.”
The market participates in a new New York State initiative called FreshConnect Fresh2You; it provides SNAP beneficiaries with $2 checks for every $2 spent at the market.
As at other markets, there's plenty of fresh seasonal produce to be found. Here are some of the more unique offerings that you can find at the Westside Farmers Market.
1. Bike repairs
One of the first things you see when you arrive is the busy area where volunteers from R Community Bikes provides free bike repairs to people of all ages. They start at 4 p.m. and work on a first come, first served basis; they usually have so much demand that they have to start turning away people at around 5:30 p.m. They can handle relatively simple repairs like flat tires, broken cables or worn brake pads; more involved repairs need to be handled at the organization's Hudson Avenue home base. They do not work on electric or gas-powered bikes. They are always recruiting volunteers, who do not have to have experience working on bikes.
2. Nigerian food
Philomina Emeka-Iheukwu serves plates of healthy, scratch-made Nigerian fare. The menu varies a bit from week to week but generally includes jollof rice, mixed vegetables, chicken and turkey meatballs, lentils and more. She also offers homemade energy bars and warm greetings. You can also find Philomina at the Rochester Public Market on Saturdays.
3. Teas from a meteorologist
Richard McCollough is a familiar face to many, as was a meteorologist on local television stations and is now meteorologist at WDKX radio. In addition, he has a farm above Conesus Lake, where he makes teas from the plants, trees and shrubs growing there. Weatherfield Farm is in its second year vending at the Westside Farmer's Market and he also has a shop on Etsy.
4. Bite-sized cookies
GG Bakes, owned by Denise Gaines and family members, has been a regular presence at the Westside Farmers Market for years. Among her specialties are delicious bite-sized chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies, sold by the dozen.
5. Gourmet pizzas
The Freddie's Wood Fired Pizza food truck serves thin crust slices and whole pies. Yes, you can get classics like cheese and pepperoni, but other creations include carbonara (with bacon, parsley, onion and cream) and ratatouille (with eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, onions and olive tapenade ― with or without a scrambled egg on top). The truck can also be found at the South Wedge Farmers Market and others.
A shaded tent is located near the entrance of the market so that patrons can consume their goodies from any of the vendors on site.
Check out the photo gallery for more finds at the market!
Find a farmer's market: A rundown of farmers markets in the Rochester area.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 5 surprising things you can find at the Westside Farmers Market
