By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Paul Cardell began naming the types of fruits and vegetables that he had just bought at the Farmers Market in Sea Isle City.
“Eggplant, corn, tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, hot peppers …” he said Tuesday while pausing to think whether he had overlooked anything.
Cardell’s mouth-watering description of his shopping spree brought a smile to the face of his 5-year-old granddaughter, Veronica. He was also joined by his wife, Mary Lou.
The Cardells live in Media, Pa., and have a summer place in Sea Isle. They are big fans of the Farmers Market, a popular Sea Isle tradition that is underway again for the summer vacation season.
“They’ve got everything that you need here and it’s always fresh,” Paul Cardell said, followed by a nod of approval from his wife.
Bringing some country flavor to the beach town, local farmers sell an array of fruits and vegetables from tent-covered stands in Excursion Park at John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue close to the ocean.
The Farmers Market is held at Excursion Park every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will continue through Aug. 31. It is sponsored by the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization.
Customers find super-fresh fruits and veggies sold at roadside-stand prices. There is also an assortment of food, non-alcoholic beverages, crafts and specialty items sold by more than 30 vendors.
The Farmers Market has been a summer tradition since 2010 and was one of the few events in Sea Isle that wasn’t canceled last year due to the pandemic. However, customers and vendors were required to wear masks last year and observe social distancing.
As the pandemic has eased this summer, so have the COVID-related restrictions. Masks are no longer required and people are able to freely browse through the market without having to remain at least 6 feet apart from other customers.
“This year, just to see the smiles on everyone’s face makes it all worth it,” Al Izzi, one of the local farmers at the market, said of the mostly maskless crowds.
Izzi, the owner of Al’s Produce in neighboring Ocean View, noted that it is a treat for him to see his customers every Tuesday in Sea Isle and then have them stop by on other days of the week at his roadside stand on Scott Lane at Route 550.
“This is the best thing,” he said. “They come here on Tuesdays and then I catch them again at my other place.”
Izzi said corn, Jersey tomatoes, peaches and eggplant are all big sellers this summer. Despite the pandemic pushing up prices for other goods nationwide, the fruits and vegetables sold at the Farmers Market are about the same cost as last year, he noted.
“They’re not astronomically high,” Izzi said.
Greg and Tina Schaffer, Sea Isle vacationers from Perkasie, Pa., were at the Farmers Market to buy 28 ears of corn – two each for all of their friends and family members.
“We’ll probably get some tomatoes, too. After that, we’ll see if we need anything else,” Greg said.
The corn was so fresh and succulent that Greg peeled back the husk on one ear and took a bite, not waiting to get home to cook it.
“Every year we spend vacations in Sea Isle and we come here to get our fresh veggies,” he said.
Barbara Serge, of Ocean View, had more than fruits and vegetables on her mind while she strolled through the market.
She was tempted by a vendor selling empanadas and another one who had key lime pie.
“I really want to try the key lime pie. It’s the first time that I’ve seen him here,” Serge said of the vendor. “It was a nice surprise.”
