Annandale farmers markets offer fresh produce and much more

If you’re thinking about serving your families more fruits and vegetables, supplement your grocery shopping with a trip to one of Fairfax County’s farmers markets. There are two in the Annandale area: The Farmers Market at Mason District Park is open on Thursdays, 8 a.m.-noon, and the market at Wakefield Park is open Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m. 

Shopping at Farmers Markets is also a great way to support local farmers and sustainable agriculture, get fresh produce, including varieties not available in supermarkets, meet growers and food producers, and teach your children where food comes from.

At a visit to the Wakefield Farmers Market last week, the Kuhn’s Orchard stall was selling a lot of peaches strawberries, and blueberries. The farm, located in Cashtown, Pa., eight miles from Gettysburg, also brought beets, leeks, raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, apricots, and other produce to the market. In July, they’ll have fennel, shallots, currants, plums, artichokes, and more.

Corn and tomatoes were the most popular items at the booth run by Level Green Farm/Sissons Produce. The farm, located in Montcross, Va., in Westmoreland County, was also selling limas, peas, giant spring onions, broccoli, okra, cucumbers, basil, squash, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

Not all of the 15 vendors at the Wakefield market had fruit and vegetables. Carol Beahm, owner of the Fields of Grace Farm was selling homemade cheese. Her dairy farm, in Remington, Va., in Fauquier County, produces cheddar, smoked gouda, mozzarella, feta, Monterey jack, camembert, several kinds of cheese curds, and string cheese. The cheddar comes in six flavors—horseradish, chipotle, chive, caraway, salt and pepper, and mild.

Carol and her husband Chester have worked on their farm for 26 years, she says, and “we wouldn’t still be there if it weren’t for the cheese.” Selling milk is no longer profitable, she says, noting that the price of milk is the same as it was in 1970. Some of their 11 children also work on the farm, which has 85 cows.

The Pasta Lady’s booth had several types of homemade pasta—roasted red pepper, garlic and basil, rosemary and sage, pumpkin and sage, and whole wheat. Sandy Skocik of Springfield (above left), quit her job as a registered nurse to devote herself fulltime to follow her passion—making and selling pasta and other goodies, like foccacia (feta and kalamata, parmesan and rosemary), mini lemon bundt cakes, and mini espresso cakes. Her husband Dave is a partner in their home-based business, Old World Kitchens.

The farmers markets will run until the end of October or first week of November.