By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Albert Izzi picked up a big bag of freshly grown corn and shook out the contents on a table at the Farmers Market in Sea Isle City.
“I brought 60 bags today. This is the last one. This is all I have,” Izzi explained of the heavy demand from customers for his succulent corn.
Izzi, a local farmer and owner of Al’s Produce in Ocean View, has participated in the Farmers Market every year since its inception in 2010. For him, the Farmers Market is particularly special because he was born and raised in Sea Isle.
“For me, this is home,” he said.
Virtually every type of fruit and vegetable sold by Izzi at the Farmers Market is grown at his farm. The tables were lined with corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, potatoes, celery, eggplant, strawberries, blueberries, grapes and many other varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Crowds pack Excursion Park for the Farmers Market.
Izzi’s wife, Sandra, was rapidly moving back and forth behind the tables while waiting on the customers who were stuffing their shopping bags with fruits and vegetables destined for their dinner table.
Sandra said it’s a treat for them to see their customers every Tuesday at the Farmers Market in Sea Isle and then have them stop by on other days of the week at the Al’s Produce roadside stand in Ocean View.
“Over the years, we’ve met people from other states and even other countries. We just love it,” Sandra said of the relationships that the Izzi family has built up with customers at the Farmers Market.
“We’ve been asked to do other farmers markets, but this is the only one we go to,” she noted of their loyalty to Sea Isle.
Carrie Henderson shows off one of the ears of corn she bought.
A popular summer tradition, the Farmers Market will be held every Tuesday this year until Aug. 27 in Sea Isle’s Excursion Park. Hours are 8 a.m. to noon. It is sponsored by the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce & Revitalization in cooperation with the city.
The Farmers Market has become a must-see attraction during the summer vacation season for countless Sea Isle residents and tourists. Instead of making a trip to the grocery store, they can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables on their way to or from the beach or simply while out running errands.
“I always come for the corn,” said Carrie Henderson, who lives in Springfield, Pa., and has a summer home in Sea Isle.
Before heading home, Henderson was also planning to stop at another vendor at the Farmers Market to buy some salsa, chips and guacamole.
“I love it. I get fruit, vegetables and all that stuff. Everything for dinner,” she said.
Mary Ellen Muth, owner of Muth Farm Flowers, hands a bouquet to a customer.
Another customer, Eileen Schlemmer, of Coopersburg, Pa., was also hunting for fruits and vegetables to take back to her Sea Isle vacation home.
“I love that they have a big variety of things here. Everything is fresh,” Schlemmer said.
Although it’s called the Farmers Market, many other things are sold by vendors from their tent-covered booths lining Excursion Park. They include flowers, crafts, freshly baked foods, healthy beverages and much more.
Mary Ellen Muth, of Muth Farm Flowers in Williamstown, N.J., has been a vendor at the Farmers Market since its inception. On Tuesday at 11 a.m., she was nearly sold out of her colorful bouquets of zinnias, lisianthus and “fragrant fillers” such as marigolds and fennel.
“It’s pretty typical,” Muth said of her flowers usually selling out or coming close to it.
Customers were also rushing to buy the specialty pastries and other treats sold by Shorebreak Cafe, a Sea Isle bakery at 83rd Street and Landis Avenue. Everything was sold out except for the crumb cake and chocolate chip cookies by around 11 a.m.
“The ham and cheese croissants were the first to go,” Maddalana Ghanayem, a server at Shorebreak Cafe, said with a smile while ticking off all of the other goodies that quickly sold out.
From left, Shorebreak Cafe servers Lauren Maher, Maddalana Ghanayem, Margaret Kane and Micaela Ghanayem have a good time at the Farmers Market.
