'We come for the food': Cape Girardeau Farmers Market opens for the season

Editor's note: The following story has been changed to correct the name of 2 Sides Grillin’ barbecue.

Dozens of shoppers meandered into the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market behind West Park Mall as market manager Marilyn Peters rang the opening bell Thursday morning -- they had been waiting for the day.

To some, farmers market offerings are one of the most anticipated perks of the warming weather.

"We come for the food," said shopper Jodie Barks, standing in line for 2 Sides Grillin’ barbecue. "We've been looking forward to this barbecue for a while."

For only featuring about 26 vendors, the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market boasts a diverse array of products.

Richard Hill of Jonesboro, Illinois shops around the stands at the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market Thursday afternoon.Laura Simon

From bison burgers to organic veggies to the famous doughnuts large enough to hold at "10 and 2," there's something for the health nut and sweet tooth alike.

Thanks to some greenhouse growers, there are even tomatoes and cucumbers that would usually sprout later in the season.

"You can get just about anything you want, practically, out here," Peters said.

The market filled up fast, and within the hour, several hundred people had passed through.

Josh Buchheit, who was there selling grass-fed-and-finished beef, said farmers markets in general have steadily become more popular in recent years.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Adrian and Kaydence Pullett walk hand in hand at the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market Thursday afternoon, April 21, 2016.

"I'd say the majority of my business comes from the different farmers markets," he said. "I think it is more so becoming popular. People want to know more of where their food is coming from and meet the farmers."

Area resident Nikki Miller, sporting a bag of farm-fresh asparagus, said it's difficult to choose a favorite when there are fresh veggies and cupcakes among her options.

"We came out every week last year," she said. "We like supporting the fresh and local produce."

And that support is not lost on the farmers themselves. Their businesses depend on it.

Jan Ward and her husband, Jimmy "the Muscle" Ward, said the farmers market is an invaluable networking opportunity.

They sell alpaca products for Three Sisters Farm at farmers markets as well as trade shows, but there's something about the market, Jan said, that's different.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Mogi, a therapy dog, stops to visit with Norah and Miles Grill at the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market Thursday afternoon, April 21, 2016.

"Monetarily, we only get about 25 percent of our income from the farmers market," she said. "But the biggie is you get a following here. People come here, they're relaxed, they want to talk to you. So it helps when you can get your name out there. Selling is wonderful, obviously, but you have to get your name out there."

Vendors must also be careful not to spend all their profits on baked goodies at other stands, either.

"You've gotta watch out," she said.

As much as the growers enjoy interacting with their customers, they also have built a close community as vendors. "We had friends here when we were at [a farmers market] in Cobden, Illinois," said Leslie Knapp, who was selling bison meat for Bison Bluff Farms. The friends invited them to join the Cape Girardeau Farmers Market and she said they've been here ever since.

"It's great," she said. "Everybody keeps in touch and helps each other out if there's any questions or anything."

She said it's a common bond that the vendors share, not born of competition, but of cooperation.

"It's a family, really," she said.

A delicious, hand-tilled family.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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