New Jersey Farmers' Market Memories
While doing a little nostalgic surfing, I came across a page in Edible Jersey depicting Trenton Farmers Market and a bit of the market as it looks in the 21st century. It prompted me to share a photo (below) with you that I took there one Saturday in the mid-1950s.
In those days, there were three buildings, with trucks backed up to overhead doors on both sides. Under the roof of each building was a sheltered asphalt walkway, where customers walked between the rows of tables that displayed the produce right in front of the trucks’ tailgates.
Our family bought most of our fresh produce either at the farmers’ market or at the ends of farmers’ driveways in various parts of Mercer County, but mostly along the Pennington-Lawrenceville Road (Route 546). I remember some of the vendors: Joseph DeFiccio brought blueberries and sweet potatoes from Spruce Fruit Farms in Hammonton, and the Terhune family on Elm Ridge Road supplied apples and peaches from their orchards.
There were two separate, small buildings just beyond the ends of the main structures. One was a butcher shop and the other was a fruit market operated by Tony Belardino and his brothers. If you were interested in a watermelon, they would “plug” one (cut out a small chunk) for you to taste and get your approval before selling it to you.
I am sometimes amused when people direct me to what they call a “farmers’ market” in 21st-century Arizona. Typically, it is an event on a single day, often on a holiday weekend. Part of a city street is closed off, and small tables, cutely decorated with checkered tablecloths, are set up at the curb under awnings to protect them from the sun. Tiny baskets, decorated with red ribbons, contain berries or cherry tomatoes that have traveled a long way and are offered at astonishingly high prices. Also on sale are a variety of toys and craftworks, mostly imported.
I think, “If only they knew what a real farmers market is!”
- The Trenton Farmers Market is considered New Jersey’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market and features over 40 vendors. Many farms and farmers have operated at the market for decades, including the DeFiccio family’s Pinelands Farm (formerly Spruce Fruit Farms) and Terhune Orchards, the Princeton farm owned and operated by the Mount Family. See Edible Jersey’s 2024 Farmers’ Market Guide on page for dozens of other markets statewide.
Trenton Farmers Market
960 Spruce St., Lawrence Township
thetrentonfarmersmarket.com
