As a chef, this is my favorite time of year. And the Old Town Farm and Art Market is one of my favorite places. It feels a little like Christmas every Saturday
I stopped by recently to catch up with some of the farmers and folks who make the market such a vibrant part of Wichita.
First stop: Tom from Meadowlark Farms. His giant “PEACHES!” banner is hard to miss—and so is the sweet aroma coming from the hundreds of pounds he brings in every week.
“White peaches that are really delicious. And then about a month more of yellow peaches that get bigger and more juicy...sweeter. The longer season ones are kind of outrageous. “
Across the pavilion, I visited with Troy from Elk Creek Farms in Chanute. His table was loaded with fresh-picked produce.
“Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, cantaloupe and watermelon.”
Next door, Dustin from Stone and Sparrow had something special: small-batch, locally milled flour. He, his wife, and their son make the drive from east of Emporia, splitting weekends between Wichita and Lawrence.
“We grow primarily heirloom wheats. We just harvested Rouges de Bordeux. It's a good bread flour, hard red wheat that was popular with French bread bakers in the 1800s. And we also harvest a purple straw wheat that goes back to Revolutionary War times.”
As always, the crowd was classic Wichita—families, friends, kids and plenty of dogs.
I wrapped up my visit with a quick chat with Amy and Luke Snow, the market’s organizers.
“The highlight of the whole market is the small businesses.”
“And to see them grow from just a concept to a thriving business - it's so incredible to be a part of that.”
Fresh food, local pride, and community—every Saturday in Old Town.
