Five not-to-miss vendors at the Lexington Farmers Market

Everyone who is a regular shopper at the Lexington Farmers Market soon develops favorite fresh produce and food vendors. Over the last 20 years or so I know I have.

Whether you’re looking for fresh baked bread, jellies and preserves, peaches or flowers, you’ll find it at this diverse local market. Altogether there are more than 80 vendors, some who grow everything they sell, some who grow some and source items from other Kentucky farmers or even out of state. All items are marked with state or county of origin.

You can get everything from kombucha and freshwater shrimp to locally made cheese and salt rising bread, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables, and so much more.

Lexington Farmers Market actually is four different markets stretching over the week during the spring and summer at locations throughout the city and each market has its own personality.

Here are five farmers you need to know, among my weekly best go-tos. All have been with the market for years and developed fans who seek them out for their high-quality items week after week.

Have a question? Don’t know what to do with a specific vegetable or how long something will keep? Just ask. These farmers know how to help you make the most of what they are selling.

Blue Moon Farm

Blue Moon Farm in Madison County joined the market in 1998 with one main product: Garlic. Owners Jean and Leo Keene began selling garlic, hoping to set up a mail-order business. But the face-to-face marketing worked better.

Now they sell fresh garlic, garlic scapes (the early green tops that you can fry or mash into delicious pesto), dried garlic braids, powdered garlic and herbs to plant. Blue Moon also offers lots items sourced from other Kentucky farmers, including honey, eggs, pork, beef and asparagus in season.

And Blue Moon works with many Central Kentucky restaurants, so you may have tasted something they provided to local chefs.

Elmwood Stock Farm

Operated by Ann Bell Stone and her husband Mac Stone, with Ann’s brother John Bell and his family, Elmwood Stock Farm today is one of the biggest sellers of organic produce in Kentucky and has been selling at the market for more than 20 years.

In the late 1990s, Ann decided to focus solely on organics and sell only what they produced on their Scott County farm, Mac Stone said. It was a risky decision at the time. “Our sales in the spring dropped by 75 percent,” he said. But soon an interesting thing happened: Organic and seasonal eaters were drawn to Elmwood.

And the market, which allows farmers to offer a produce sourced from out of state, drew customers who came for Georgia peaches from another vendor then bought Kentucky kale from Elmwood, Stone said.

That allowed them to start offering great CSA subscription baskets. Community-supported agriculture allows customers to invest in farms and receive fresh seasonal produce every week.

Elmwood’s CSA, which now allows customers to customize what they want in their weekly baskets, has doubled in volume year after year, with options including eggs, meat and flowers. The farm also sells heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving and has valued added items including ketchup and tasty salsa.

Henkle’s Herbs and Heirlooms

Mark and Velvet Henkle joined the market in 2006, after Mark spent a year as an intern for Kentucky tomato legend Bill Best.

The Henkles grow everything they sell at their Jessamine County farm and they specialize in heirloom tomatoes, peppers, basil and other herbs. In the spring, they sell plants for home gardeners.

Then the tomatoes start rolling in in June and cover several tables of their booth at the market on Saturday, Sunday and usually Thursday. Until they sell out, that is.

Because they always do. If you want a particular kind, you’ll need to get there early or risk missing out. My favorite, the pinks, go fast.

Another plus: Velvet used to do catering, so she has plenty of great recipes if you don’t know what to do with those gems. Ask her about her fresh salsa.

Home Pickins Farm

In a world of fresh vegetables, Beth Tillery carved out a niche for her Jackson County farm in flowers. Since 1997, she’s been raising and selling bouquets that bring to mind old-fashioned homestead flower beds by the jar-full.

You can go big or small, either way she will have something that pleases the eye. Think zinnias and snapdragon, tuberose for scent, peonies and hydrangeas for wow.

Lisianthus and sunflowers also draw big crowds to her table inside the 5/3 Pavilion at the Main Street market on Saturday and under a tent on Sunday. She also sells fresh blueberries in spring and gourds in the winter.

Tillery said she’s surprised when she hears someone doesn’t know about Lexington’s market. “I love that market, it’s my social life,” she said. “It’s special, it’s a social event for a lot of people.”

Stonehedge Farm Produce

Stonehedge Farm in Versailles is in transition: Longtime farmer Adrienne Eggum is winding down her market activities and passing the baton to up and coming farmer Julia Hall. The two have worked together for years and produced a wide array of fresh vegetables, greens, peppers, flowers and more in Versailles.

They are one of my favorite vendors because they are one of the few farms in Central Kentucky that sells fresh black-eye peas and other field peas.

They also offer dried herbs and pepper powders in the fall that make for great additions to winter soups and stir frys.

Stonehedge sells on Saturday and Sunday and often on Tuesday and Thursday as well. And, if you’re in Versailles, the farm sets up a “pay what you can” table on days when they aren’t at market. Check it out at 1204 Kidds Mill Rd.