Although it’s hard to get folks outdoors in Louisiana’s hottest months, vendors at the Baton Rouge Red Stick Farmers Market offer fresh, local produce that successfully draws a crowd, bringing a special kind of vibrancy downtown each Saturday morning.
The market takes place year round on Main Street from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is a well-known spot for purchasing quality fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and other goods from local farmers. However, the market offers more than just an exchange of goods between a buyer and seller.
A summer morning at the Baton Rouge farmers market is a hub for families and friends to connect and build a sense of community.
Betty and John Cheiner, co-owners of Cheiner Farms out of Opelousas, Louisiana, have been selling their fresh produce at the Saturday market for 28 years. In the winter, their tent is stocked with root vegetables, but today, customers line up to buy heirloom tomatoes, zephyr squash and goldenrod zucchini. In a few weeks, the same people will wait in line for watermelons and cantaloupes.
Aside from the change in produce, Betty Cheiner notices other differences between the market in the summer and the winter.
“In the summertime, the people come out more,” Cheiner said. “They like the scenery and getting out, eating breakfast inside the market. Some people meet up with their friends here and socialize. It’s a family oriented environment.”
Cheiner’s hair was tied up with an orange bandana as she poured bright red cherry tomatoes into blue cartons, while simultaneously reminding those around her to get a sip of water. It was over 87 degrees Fahrenheit at just 9:32 a.m. Her husband answered questions about produce and took sales at the front. It was loud, crowded and hot, but the couple still found moments to converse with their customers.
“Me and my husband, we come here,” Cheiner said. “We don’t send anyone in our place. We make the connection with people. That’s why we are so successful here because we have that connection.”
For many vendors, the goods they sell help them create deeper bonds with shoppers. Judia Dugas, owner of Lena Farms out of Clinton, Louisiana, has been selling a variety of seasonal produce, pickled vegetables, jams and jellies at the market for over 10 years.
Almost everything in Dugas’ products is grown and made at her farm. The jams and jellies are made with homegrown blueberries, peaches, peppers, onions and more. In addition to providing local, farm-to-table produce, one of her favorite parts about selling at the market is seeing her products resurface happy memories in her customers.
“I really enjoy it, especially when someone says ‘Oh my grandmother used to make that,’ so they bring back memories to me too,” Dugas said. “I see the joy on their face and know that they taste the food and it reminds them of their grandmother.”
One of Dugas’ most popular products in the summer is a bright red drink made from homegrown hibiscus and sweetened with simple syrup. The refreshing beverage sits in bottles and stays cool in a bucket of ice at her booth, while she and her granddaughter work together taking sales.
In addition to produce, the market is an important source of locally produced animal products. Gonsoulin Land and Cattle is a local, grass-fed beef and lamb ranch that has become an important vendor at the Red Stick Farmers Market, especially during summer barbecue season.
Sid DeRouen, who represents the ranch at its tent on Saturday mornings, emphasized the importance of supporting the local economy, which then forges a stronger community.
“What is attractive about it is that it keeps everything local within the community,” DeRouen said. “All our sales go within. We produce locally. Selling it to customers who want local, who want something grown in this area and being able to reap the benefits of our toil and labor of producing these animals, that’s my favorite part.”
Another summertime staple at the downtown market is the seasonal flora and fauna available. Charles Benton, owner of Mon Jardin Farms in Batchelor, Louisiana only comes to the market during warm months when his sunflowers are in full bloom. Since they’re the only product he sells, his tent is easily recognizable by its large, golden bouquets.
Since coming to the market in 1996, Benton has experienced ups and downs in business, but he remains confident in its ability to thrive no matter the conditions.
“This has been a good market since its inception,” Benton said. “We’ve had some hard times, mostly weather related. We are coming off a really bad year of 2023, lots of lack of rainfall and excessive heat. We are kind of getting back to some semblance of normal. Maybe we are having to adapt to a new normal. We don’t know yet.”
Like many of the other farmers, it’s Benton’s report with his customers that makes the farmers market a special place for him to sell his flowers. He enjoys chit-chatting with customers and learning their names and stories.
“It’s that interaction,” Benton said. “Being a farmer, I live out in the country. This is my social life too, you know?”
“Watch this”, he said.
Benton pulled a single sunflower from one of his bouquets and walked it over to a young girl outside his tent. She smiled and showed the flower to her family.
