Freehold Farmers Market Brings Jersey Fresh Downtown

There are a lot of reasons to love summer in Monmouth County—the shore, outdoor concerts, fireworks and fairs, to name a few. For foodies, farmers markets bring the tastes, smells and sights of the season to life.

The Freehold Farmers Market was a welcome addition to Downtown Freehold as customers shopped for homegrown food and flowers from local vendors in front of the Hall of Records on Friday.

“I love fresh fruits and vegetables right from the farm,” Freehold resident Joyce Stapleton said. “This farmers market looks like it’s gotten a little bigger.”

The annual Freehold Farmers Market sponsored by Downtown Freehold, the area’s business partnership, welcomed several vendors during its season opening, including Kauffman Farms, Farmingdale; Hauser Hill Farms, Old Bridge; Trapper's Honey, Clarksburg; and Pickle Licious, Teaneck, among others.

The market provides farmers an opportunity to connect with their customers.

“We’re seeing a lot of new faces and a lot of old faces,” said Debbie Kauffman of Kauffman Farms. “This year we started using Facebook and a lot of people said they were waiting for us to come back here.”

Kauffman said her business participates in the Freehold Farmers Market to encourage area residents eat locally grown produce.

“This is a great way to get agriculture and Jersey Fresh (the state program to promote New Jersey farm products) out there,” Kauffman said.

The Freehold Farmers Market will continue each Friday through October from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit downtownfreehold.com or call 732-333-0094 for more information.