New Farmer’s Market in Woodridge

A new year-round farmer’s and craft market has sprung up in Woodridge. The market, called The Marketplace in Woodridge, was founded by Janice Booker, Woodridge resident.

The market operates on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 1915 Rhode Island Avenue NE. The market features locally-grown and seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts and preserves at prices significantly less than grocery-store prices.

Lynndale Farm, part of the Miller farm family from St. Mary’s County, is the featured farmer. Ms. Booker said she is hoping to add a baker and on-site barbecue very soon.

The farmer’s market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The craft market is a “work in progress” said Ms. Booker. She said her plan is for the arts and crafts market to be up and running by mid-July.

Parking is plentiful at the farmer’s market, which is held across the street from the Shell gas station on Rhode Island Avenue. Longtime residents will remember the spot as where Long John Silver’s used to be. The site is leased from the International House of Prayer for All People.

Ms. Booker said bilingual assistance is available for Spanish speakers and the location is wheelchair accessible. WIC and CSFP senior coupons are accepted.

For more information, call Janice Booker at (202) 529-3610 or email info@themarketplace1915.com.

Brookland Farmer’s Market Is In Full Swing

Licking Creek Bend Farm is back at the Brookland farmer’s market, held every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. under the Michigan Avenue bridge on the 10th Street side of the Brookland metro station.

Licking Creek has fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. A local baker has a stand with fresh bread, pastries, baked good and locally roasted coffee. There is also a bicycle clinic for on-the-spot bicycle repairs.

Bravo to Ms. Booker. Maybe pretty soon someone will start selling organic and/or local produce as well–can’t wait. Just imagine–free range chicken eggs, locally grown organic greens, herbs and tomatoes, a cute set of stalls. Why not?

I understand Ms.Booker went door to door with flyers about the Farmers Market. I don’t think you can get more personable than this. Wish Flip-it had done the same thing. Maybe a BID like in NoMa can help keep the community informed about new openings and events. I’ve gone to a couple of openings for retail in NoMa and I have been glad I did. NoMa is also having a Farmers Market on Wednesdays.

We need banners (and fliers?) and word of mouth for this to succeed! How cool…maybe upper Rhode Island Avenue can actually be revived.

Many are the eyesores on Rhode Island Avenue in my opinion, by the way. Seems to me that the Avenue has a long way to go, although that can happen relatively rapidly once it really takes off, I hear.

The residential areas on either side of the Avenue are being slowly but steadily improved as the decaying houses mixed in among the better kept homes are slowly increasingly fixed up by a few of the more tasteful renovators. We all need to spend time on our front porches, plant young shade trees, pick up some of the litter, go by Art Enables, encourage the owners of local businesses toward slightly more stately, muted storefronts, and support farmers’ markets! Oh, and support any good local restaurants that we can find. (The new vegetarian restaurant in Mt Rainier on 34th next to Glut is my favorite addition to the region.)

Anyone know when Flip-it is ever going to open?

I hope this picks up–it’s a great addition to our community.

For those interested, I think they said they were accepting WIC and other programs as well.