OPENING DAY
When I was a kid, the term opening day in our house always meant the start of the baseball season. My father and brothers were major baseball fans and, as the day drew near, the excitement was evident in the conversation around the dinner table, the stat quoting from the newspaper, and Howard Cosell’s voice on the radio.
To me, though, their talk of opening day meant that corn on the cob and watermelon, tomatoes, and peaches—and those wonderful long and lazy days of summer—were well on their way. Opening day heralded the start of summer—and it still does. I’ve never been much of a sports fan, but perhaps I was destined to run a food magazine because now, opening day means only one thing: farmers’ market season has arrived.
With that in mind, my husband, Ray, and I headed off to the opening day of the West Windsor Farmers’ Market’s 2023 season. Co-founded by Beth Feehan and Mireille Delman in 2004 and managed by the remarkable and energizing Chris Cirkus since 2011, the market is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and was voted #1 farmers market in New Jersey (and #4 in the nation!) by the American Farmland Trust in 2022.
PHOTOS, TOP (left to right): NANCY PAINTER, CHRIS CIRKUS & RAY PAINTER, JERSEY GIRL CHEESE, GORGEOUS GOAT CREAMERY, CHERRY GROVE FARM, BOTTOM( left to right): PINEAPPLE PINK, AZUCA PATISSERIE, CHRIS CIRKUS & STACEY KENNEDY (PHOTO BY LISA GRANAZIO), GRIGGSTOWN FARM. PHOTOS BY NANCY PAINTER AND WWFM TEAM.
As we strolled the rows of vendors, you could feel the excitement—joy, actually—while soaking in the smiles and conversations. There were longtime farm vendors, such as Terhune Orchards, Griggstown Farm, and Cherry Grove Farm. There were businesses that have grown up at this venue, like Jammin’ Crepes and Loré Pasta. And there were the rookies, new businesses here for their first year, including Pineapple Pink (bone broth) and Azuca Patisserie (Latin-influenced cookies and bread puddings), to name a few. Ray and I were rookies here once, too, way back in 2007 when we were invited to set up our own table and distribute the first issue of a brand-new magazine called Edible Jersey. We made friends and business contacts that have lasted ever since. As we’ve come to learn, farmers’ markets are like that: equal parts grocer, business incubator, and community hot spot.
Summer has arrived in New Jersey and we hope this issue captures the excitement for you. We share some classic eats on the Boardwalk (page 14), look at the evolution of one leading New Jersey farm (page 34), and consider the prospects of NJ’s scallop industry (page 62). And we were honored to have the opportunity to sit down and talk with Douglas Fisher as he prepares to step down as NJ’s Secretary of Agriculture, a role he has so ably held since 2009 (page 28).
And, of course, there is our 17th annual Farmers’ Market Guide on page 45. Why? Because from our view, no matter the day or the town, every day feels like opening day at a farmers’ market.
Have a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
Nancy Painter, Editor & Publisher
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