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Not a Dream Market Season Opener But Local Food Fans Showed Up
- Bob Benenson
- Apr 5
- 3 min read
A Soggy Start Didn't Stay Green City Market Fans
It was exactly what I hoped for. Green City Market's kickoff for the Chicago region's outdoor farmers market season on Saturday (April 4) drew bright and sunny weather with springlike temperatures. I bounded out of bed, got dressed and had coffee as I prepared to catch the bus down to Lincoln Park. And then...
I woke up. I glanced out the window at the soggy hangover from an overnight rainstorm, and realized that I'd just been dreaming.
I would have liked to have been there at 7 a.m. so I could say I was there exactly when the Chicago region's outdoor farmers market season began. But the weather system was slowly moving out. As an inveterate weather radar watcher, I saw that a dry slot around 9 a.m. appeared likely, so I hustled down to the market (about 2 miles from home).
This turned out to be perfect timing for me, and a lot of other local food lovers.
The rain must have been heavy overnight, because we all had to navigate around some lake-sized puddles. But there was a solid turnout by vendors who had plenty of delicious food, produced locally and sustainably, to sell even at this very beginning of the region's outdoor growing season.
Which brings me to that photo at the top of the story...
I was finishing up my shopping when I ran into Tish Steele, Green City Market's executive director, who happened to be giving a tour to Erica Thompson, a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times who asked to do an interview (something exceeding rare for someone used to being the interviewer).
When she asked about my opening day finds, I revealed that Kajers Greens farm (North Judson, Indiana) had the first ramps of the season, and I'd made it just in time to get the last bunch. Hence, the lovely photo she took of me brandishing the ramps.
Now, many Local Food Forum readers already know about the ramp, but just in case, it is a wild-foraged allium that used to grow prolifically in the swampy shores of Lake Michigan before this place became Chicago. In fact, the city's name comes from the American Indian word chickagou, which in various interpretations means wild onion, stinky onion (my favorite), wild leek and wild garlic.
I'll have a follow-up article that will tell you everything you want to know (and probably more) with some kitchen tips about how to enjoy the short season of this first outdoor crop to hit the Chicago markets.
I also recommend reading Erica's article, linked below, which covers the challenges vendors are facing because of inflation and program cutbacks under the current presidential administration. The article is password-protected but I was able to access it by watching a 30-second ad for the Sun-Times (and yes, I am going to subscribe).
A shoutout to our farmer-vendors, who had to set out their products while it was still raining in the pre-dawn hours. As I joked with old friend Steve Freeman of Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois), at least I wouldn't have to wash the vegetables when I got home.
Here's my first haul of the 2026 outdoor market season: pasture-raised ground beef, eggs and whole chicken from Finn's Ranch (Buchanan, Michigan); them ramps; onions and German butterball potatoes from Nichols; and a danish from Dorothy's Bakery (Chicago), whose brick-and-mortar store is just a few blocks north of the market on Clark St.
More adventures soon. Green City's flagship Lincoln Park location is open every Saturday through November 21; its Wednesday market begins its season on May 6. They also have a Saturday satellite location in the West Loop neighborhood that kicks off its season on May 2.
And I'd be remiss not to include a order I received Saturday from Three Sisters Garden in Kankakee, Illinois, one of the few regional farms that does home deliveries to Chicago customers. Along with my latest bag of spring spinach, I got my first-of-season green garlic, Italian parsley and chives.
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