Celebrating National Farmers Market Week: Why Markets Matter Now More Than Ever

National Farmers Market Week (August 4–10) is a time to celebrate the 61st Street Farmers Market—and farmers markets across Illinois—for the vital role they play in our communities.

1. The power of local food nourishes communities and strengthens the local economy

2. An access point for healthy food with Link Match

3. Beyond dollars and data, farmers markets bring people together

The Englewood community on Chicago’s South Side has long faced a lack of full-service grocery stores, affordable produce, and safe spaces for families to gather. That began to change with the opening of Go Green Fresh Market and the launch of the Link Match program for SNAP recipients.

Grant Kessler is a Chicago-based food photographer and passionate local food advocate. He is currently supporting Experimental Station as a Project Manager to organize and coordinate the creation of an Illinois Food System Roadmap. We interviewed him to learn more.

For years, Experimental Station has voiced our concern that Illinois is a severely food insecure state, importing more than 95% of the foods we eat. This, despite being one of the country’s leading agricultural states. Out of that concern grew our suggestion for Illinois to create a plan to rebuild the state’s food system, such that Illinois farmers would produce more foods that we can eat and have the infrastructure and markets to process, distribute, and sell their products.

🍓 Fresh strawberries have officially arrived at the 61st Street Farmers Market—and that means summer is on! These vibrant, juicy gems are locally grown, picked fresh, and packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.

Find everbearing and day-neutral varieties now through fall at Ellis Family Farm and Mick Klug Farm.

✨ Want to try something new? Don’t miss Chef Romana Baptiste’s Strawberry Vinaigrette recipe—it’s summer in a bite.

Whether you know them for their fresh produce, mushrooms, or iconic yellow compost bins, @theurbancanopy is doing so much more than showing up at farmers markets. Founded in 2011, their mission is to make healthy food accessible, reduce food miles, divert waste from landfills, and create meaningful local jobs.

As farmers market season kicks off, Link Up Illinois celebrates the impact of Link Match, which doubles SNAP dollars for fruits and vegetables. In 2024, over $800,000 was spent at markets and stands, helping families access fresh food while supporting local farmers and communities. This year, 125+ farmers markets are participating—ready to double the spending power of SNAP shoppers across Illinois.

Trish Bellmore, Executive Director of the Greater Wabash Food Council, is a standout regional partner of Link Up Illinois. After joining as a Link Match partner in 2024 through Pete’s Produce Farmers Market, Trish’s leadership led to the establishment of Greater Wabash as a regional hub. Since then, she has secured SNAP authorization for Grayville Farmers Market and launched four additional markets—in Carmi, Fairfield, Olney, and West Salem—all of which now accept SNAP and Link Match. Her work highlights the vital role that local leaders with deep community roots play in expanding food access across Illinois.

In just two weeks, the 61st Street Farmers Market will be kicking off its 18th outdoor season—and we couldn't be more excited!

On Saturday, May 17, we will be back outside on 61st Street with at least 32 amazing vendors lined up this year, including some longtime favorites like Mint Creek Farm, Ellis Family Farms, and Gorman Farm Fresh Produce. Stay tuned–the new vendors will be revealed soon! to launch the 2025 market season.

The 61st Street Farmers Market, a program of Experimental Station, has become more than just a place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables on Saturdays.

In addition to providing access to healthy food for 63,984 community members over 35 market days in the year, the Market is working year-round to build a healthier, more connected community through food, education, and wellness programs.

As this week marks National Volunteer Week, we want to thank the incredible individuals who power Experimental Station through their time, talent, and care. Since our early days—and especially with the launch of the 61st Street Farmers Market in 2008—volunteers have played a vital role in building a more equitable and sustainable food culture in our community.

Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW) is bringing bike education to Andrew Carnegie Elementary School and Bret Harte Elementary School—both Chicago Public Schools located on the South Side.

This expansion provides bike safety training, cycling skills, and hands-on learning to even more youth throughout the school year.

This spring break, 14 youths from seven local high schools joined Blackstone Bicycle Works for an educational 1-week Spring Break Camp. From early morning to late afternoon each day, the participants dove into a hands-on mix of bike mechanics, creative bicycle art, STEM activities, and college and career exploration, turning their spring break into a week full of skill-building, growth, and fun.

Illinois farmers markets don’t stop with summer! Thanks to storage and indoor growing, fresh produce—greens, mushrooms, root veggies, apples, and more—remains available at winter markets.

Batavia Indoor Market, one of 30 Link Match partners, helps make healthy food accessible for SNAP recipients year-round. The market operates every Saturday, featuring around 20 vendors. Most vendors offer SNAP-eligible items, with five offering Link Match-eligible items.

Less than 5% of the food we eat in Illinois is grown here—95% is imported. This means missed opportunities to support local farmers and access fresh, nutritious food.

That's why Experimental Station launched the Illinois Food System Taskforce to develop a 10-year statewide food system roadmap with input from stakeholders across Illinois.

Giving Tuesday (Dec 3) is just around the corner. Join Experimental Station over the next few weeks as we take you on a journey of our impact and why your support matters.

Your contribution will help us address food insecurity, empower youth, and build community in Chicago’s south side and across Illinois.

This fall, Experimental Station celebrates its impactful programs fostering community connections and growth. Blackstone Bicycle Works engaged Woodlawn youth through bike mechanics and career counseling, while the 61st Street Farmers Market deepened ties with Jackson Park Terrace residents, promoting healthy food choices and community engagement. Link Up Illinois enhanced access to fresh, local produce through the statewide Link Match program.

We are thrilled to share that Experimental Station’s Blackstone Bicycle Works program was featured yesterday on ABC 7 Chicago Eyewitness News! Reporter Leah Hope visited BBW at 6100 S Blackstone to interview two BBW Earn-A-Bike Summer Camp participants, siblings Leila and Nazareth, who shared their enthusiasm for the program.

Through Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW)’s 2024 Earn-A-Bike summer camp, 39 youths aged 9-17 not only earned their bikes but also went home with the knowledge and spirit of true cyclists. While many participants came with some riding experience, five youths learned to ride a bike for the first time, overcoming their fears.

Through the work of our Link Up Illinois, 61st Street Farmers Market, and Link Access for Chicago Farmers Markets programs, Experimental Station already envisions the potential for an agricultural transition supported by rebuilding linkages between Illinois farmers and low-income Illinoisans seeking access to fresh and healthy foods. We invite you, in reading our 2023 outcomes on the following pages, to see why we are excited. We hope that you will be excited too!