A third space.
That’s how the folks who run the Metuchen Farmers Market think about when they curate the market that runs from mid-June to November on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Town Plaza.
“We understand that the market is a third space for people,” said Nelson Li, who has served as market’s volunteer manager since 2011. “People come here and shop, bring friends, run into friends.
“It’s a nice friendly place to come and relax and have a conversation.”
That’s exactly what was happening on a recent Saturday. The weather was unseasonably warm for the fall day and people were shopping, eating, mingling, and enjoying the music of the Lonesome Pines band. Dogs were playing.
The Metuchen Farmers Market was started in 1997 by the Chamber of Commerce.
“They ran it for many years as a small thing, three vendors … moving location to location every year,” Li explained. “In 2011, I was invited to become manager of the market in an effort to build up the number of vendors, give it a stable home and then overtime I brought on advisors to help me.
“In 2018, we became an independent 501(c) 3 and that year the plaza became available to us as well.”
The Town Plaza soon became the permanent home for the market. With a core group of volunteer advisors (Board of Trustees) – led by Christine Von der Linn as president – and a stable home, the response to the farmers market was strong.
“It was at the time when Metuchen was really developing, building more housing units and parking units,” Li said.
“So we were responding to the influx of the town. It was really exciting, we were growing as they were growing. That’s why we decided to become a nonprofit. We wanted to do more to help the town.
“[The Plaza] been a wonderful space to accommodate everyone – the live music, artists, bakers, and local artisans.
“It became a real community gathering spot.”
Every season Li and the board curate each week of the market, which has drawn upwards of approximately 1,500 people.
“It’s a balancing act,” Li admits. “We have a set of core vendors here every week including all our farmers. Dispersed in all that are vendors who will alternate on various schedules in order for us to fit in more vendors in the same footprint.”
“Every week, there are up to 20 vendors and over the course of the season, we have up to 85 different participants because of the way we are working the schedule.”
There is a pop-up tent that changes every week that gives a local brick-and-mortar business exposure.
“It creates a great connection between the town and people who may have not known they existed,” Li said.
Von der Linn explains they go out of their way to curate the market. Interested participants need to fill out a form.
“That gathers all their information for us,” she said. “It gives us a sense of how their business developed, what they are trying to do, and how they source their product.
“It helps us keep [the market] focused on food and community. We don’t want to ever veer from our mission.”
Another great part of the market is the rotating community tables from the Friends of the Metuchen Library, local churches to the borough’s Traffic and Transportation, von der Linn said.
Every week, the market is a space for people to also donate non-perishable items for the First Presbyterian Church Food Pantry.
For Li and Von der Linn, the closeknit community of Metuchen makes the market feel “homey and welcome.”
“It allows people to connect in a more natural way than being surrounded by a lot of strangers,” Von der Linn said of larger markets.
“There’s always a connection. We always say there’s always ‘six degrees of separation’ within the people of the town.”
Li sends out a weekly newsletter prior to each Saturday to let people know what to expect. Throughout the market season, there are different themes at different points for seasonal vegetables and fruits. More recently they held a tomato tasting at the height of tomato season. Apple Palooza was held on Oct. 11 with a pie baking contest and people were able to learn how apples were cultivated in New Jersey.
“That’s important to us because we want people to understand what they are buying and why are farmers growing,” von der Linn said, who started volunteering for the market through her passionate for cooking and nutrition. “It’s important to [provide] health and food support.”
When Li began his journey as market manager, he had initiatives. On the recent Saturday, he expressed that for the most part he has met all his initiatives including the big goal of accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutritious Assistance Program) EBT benefits and Good Food Bucks, which came to fruition this season.
The new initiative supports the Metuchen Farmers Market’s mission to create a welcoming, inclusive space where everyone has the opportunity to shop for healthy, nutritious foods – regardless of income.
Shoppers using SNAP EBT benefits can be get set up directly at the market’s welcome tent. Plus, through the Good Food Bucks program, customers will receive additional dollars to spend, helping stretch their food budgets even further.
“We’re thrilled to offer these programs as part of our commitment to food equity and community health,” said Jacqueline Ho, vice president of the Board of Trustees. “Everyone deserves access to fresh, locally grown produce, and this is a big step toward that goal.”
Li and the board are continuously working on making the market more sustainable for future years to come.
The Metuchen Farmers Market is on the plaza – corner of New and Peart streets – rain or shine every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information visit metuchenfarmersmarket.org.
