- April 26, 2024
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Mallory Park's Kathleen Osterberg browses at Milogros Produce. (Photos by Ian Swaby)
Lakewood Ranch's Amy Anthofer and Ryan Stephenson enjoy a date at Waterside Place.
Waterside's Kedar Padhye and Jennifer Martin purchase a watermelon from Milagros Produce.
Caitlin Saviano picks through the produce at Under the Yum Yum Tree.
Waterside's Alana Turner makes her weekly purchase of treats for her pets, from Elyssa Wider of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming.
Van Balam of Van's Sharpening Service works on a knife. He is a regular vendor at the farmers market.
Greenbrook's Joseph Flesche samples steak sauce from NickB's Chimichurri, with the assistance of Chrisopher Deal.
Jafet and Kelby Ortiz relax on the green with their dog Benito.
Lakewood Ranch's Mike Rutcosky and his wife Ashley Rutcosky enjoy a refreshment from Surfing Coconut.
Amanda Champ, owner of Surfing Coconut, cracks open a coconut for a customer.
Sarasota's Patti Beaulieu, and Nancy Klein from Fort Myers, sample lotion with the help of Eric Swanson at Swanson Soapworks.
Lakewood Ranch's James Akuna tosses a beanbag during cornhole at Waterside Place.
Il Villaggio's Terri Sherwood and Bruce Sherwood talk with Anelisse Rosada of Your CBD Store.
Lakewood Ranch's Savannah Hoover and her 5-year-old daughter Ava Hoover look out at the Florida softshell turtles in the water.
Jimmy Hernandez scoops guacamole at Dynasty Guacamole.
Del Webb's Ralph Alberti, a "mushroom lover," checks out the Fantastic Fungi cookbook, while learning from Howard Schmidt, at the Petrichor Mushrooms stand.
Lakewood Ranch's Barbara Salamy checks out some treats.
Lakewood Ranch's Kat Karbowski and her boyfriend Jaxon O'Neal from Georgia, browse the flowers at Sweet B's Flower Truck.
Sweet B's Flower Truck owner Jen Sekel arranges the flowers.
Sara Nelms provided live music at the event.
It's been hot, and at the Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market at Waterside Place, it doesn't seem to matter.
Both customers and vendors said the summer heat doesn't keep them away now that the market is held year round.
"I'm going to be coming every week," Riverwalk's Justin Woods said on July 31.
Woods said one aspect of the event that appealed to him was the availability of German brötchen, or bread rolls, which he said he had been searching for since he grew up eating them for breakfast and finally found at the Thomas German Bakery stand.
Jen Sekel, owner of Sweet B's Flower Truck, said she had observed an impressive growth in the market since it moved from the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center parking lot last November.
"It's been amazing to see," she said.
Lakewood Ranch's Ashley Rutcosky, who recently moved from Illinois to Lakewood Ranch with her husband, Mike, and her two children, Corey and Rachel, said they were visiting the market for the first time.
She called the event beautiful and said her family enjoyed "being outdoors and being adventurous."
Lakewood Ranch's Ryan Stephenson said the farmers market has become a local "institution."
"It's such a nice, fun event," said Waterside's Alana Turner, who stops every Sunday to pick up treats for her dog.
She said the event is an excellent way for people of all ages to spend time together.
"It's nice to see kids, older people, all these generations," she said.
"I come here all the time," said Mallory Park's Kathleen Osterberg. "It's nice to give back to the community, buy fresh produce instead of buying from stores and give local farmers a chance."
Vendors, even those from outside the local area, appeared just as committed as those who attend.
"It's a good crowd of people and good vendors, and the customers know what they want," said Chrisopher Deal of NickB's Chimichurri, which is based in Pine Island.
