Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the intersection of Fifth and Main streets downtown, the Red Stick Farmer’s Market features an array of homemade goods, from plants to crepes and everything in between.
Whatever you’re looking for, the Farmers Market has it. While the market showcases countless vendors and stands, here are a few must-visit staples for the new attendee.
Mizell Farms
Jim Mizell brings in his plants from Folsom, Louisiana, every Saturday for the market. Mizell Farms produces perennials, annuals, vegetables stalks and any other garden plant you can think of, including herbs. The farm’s herb collection is extensive and ranges from chocolate mint to lemongrass.
“One of the things that’s so special about Jim is that he can answer any questions with any of his customers about how to grow the herbs, how to cook with them, or how to use them as medicine,” Mizell’s longtime friend Kay Radlauer said.
Nur’s Kitchen
Originally hailing from Turkey, Nur Pinner began her brand “Nur’s Kitchen” nearly 14 years ago in New Orleans.
Nur’s Kitchen brings authentic Turkish dishes to Baton Rouge. All recipes are originals passed down from Pinner’s grandmother, she said.
An hour into the market, Pinner’s hummus was the first to go.
The line includes traditional, chipotle, roasted red pepper and cilantro with anise. Other items available include green lentil salad with quinoa, navy bean salad, and dolma, or stuffed grape leaves.
While Nur’s Kitchen has had products in commercial stores like Rouses Market and Whole Foods for about eight years, Pinner still attends and personally sells at the Red Stick Farmers Market every week.
Bocage Bee & Honey Company
As you reach the end of the outdoor portion of the market, you’ll find Bocage Bee & Honey Company, where every product is made from local raw honey or beeswax.
The company goes to “great extremes” to ensure every batch of honey is unprocessed and contains no added chemical preservatives, sales and marketing representative Milou Barry said.
Bocage Bee & Honey Company’s original flavors can be attributed to the specific placement of the hives. Each hive is placed near certain plants to create the variations in flavor, he said. The company uses beeswax to create candles, soap, lip balm and lotion.
Red Stick Spice Company
Family-owned and operated Red Stick Spice Company is a one-stop hub for all flavors of the southern region and beyond. It supplies hundreds of spices, blends, rubs, specialty teas and olive oils.
A wall of tea in the farmers market booth exhibits a remedy for any illness or discomfort, such as its sore throat tea.
“A lot of college students don’t understand how to utilize [certain spices],” salesman and interdisciplinary studies student Brent Rhodes said. “The farmers market makes it really easy to cook food — it’s really well priced,” Rhodes says.
GoYaYa’s Crepes
For a final stop, stop by GoYaYa’s Crepes, known for its sweet and savory treats, breakfast and coffee bar.
GoYaYa’s creator and executive chef Kevin Black began the business as a food truck around seven years ago. The Baton Rouge-original would park outside local hot-spots like The Radio Bar. GoYaYa’s has been a vendor inside the Main Street Market since 2011.
One of its best sellers is the chicken caprese crepe made with roasted chicken, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and their in-house-made pesto aioli, salesman Ryan Blanchfield said. GoYaYa’s menu also offers Nutella and fruit crepes with powdered sugar.
