Charles “Bud” Benton and his wife Connie pack theirweathered, red pick-up truck each Saturday with freshly-pickedproduce and flowers and make the 60 mile drive to peddle theirhome-grown produce to visitors of the downtown farmers’market.
As it has for many of the other farmers that line Main Street ofthe Red Stick Farmers’ Market, the weekly market has become avital part of Benton’s livelihood.
“We make about 95 percent of our sales at themarket,” Benton said of the gourmet vegetables andhard-to-find blooms he sells.
Benton started experimenting with different crops 18 years agoon the same 15-acre plot of land farmed by both his father andgrandfather.
The French-influenced name of Benton’s small agrarianbusiness is “Mon Jardin,” meaning “mygarden.” He said he has watched his business boom over thelast eight years since the opening of the Baton RougeFarmers’ Market.
Lori Melancon, one of the coordinators behind the Main StreetMarket and Red Stick Farmers Market, said the market was opened asa way to encourage people to buy fresh foods and to support statefarmers, who travel as far as 120 miles to sell their goods at thestreet market.
“Right now we have about 75 members of the organization,but not all of them come every weekend because they areseasonal,” Melancon said.
Melancon said each weekend, from 8 a.m. to noon, the street islined with an eclectic bounty of meats, seafood, jellies, produce,bread and flowers.
Aside from offering freshness, Melancon said many of theparticipants offer unique products at the Market, which iscelebrating its eighth anniversary this Saturday.
Le Potager owner Annabelle Servat brings fresh eggs tinted withdifferent colors, reflecting the food she feeds the chickens,Melancon said.
Melancon said Servat’s pickled garlic and rosemary-infusedbread are her favorites.
Benton found a niche in growing gourmet vegetables such as babyeggplant, squash and beans.
“I could sell a large pumpkin and get $2 for it, or Icould sell something that consumers probably can’t find atthe local grocery store and be able to charge a little more forit,” Benton said.
The market also allows farmers to bypass the grocer and sellstraight to the public, meaning more of the revenue goes into theirpockets.
One of the arguments for buying locally farmed products is itboosts the state economy.
“When customers buy from a chain store, the farmer thatproduced it might only get 10 or 15 cents out of a dollar,”Benton said. “And even that money is going out of thestate.”
The prices may be a little higher at the Farmers’ Market,but Melancon said there is extra value in getting a fresh productto the table.
“Fruits and vegetables shipped from distant states andcountries can spend as many as seven to 14 days in travel beforethey get to the supermarket,” Melancon said.
She said most of the U. S. produce is shipped from California,Florida and Washington.
“I am not a food scientist, but I think buying fresh wouldbe more healthy,” Benton said. “Certainly a fresherproduct is better than one that has been picked before they areripe and cooled to stay sellable.”