The second smallest state in the United States has a thriving farmers market community, especially around its beaches. Markets are present in all three counties in Delaware: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. The following three operations showcase the First State’s variety of small farmers and tight-knit communities.
Historic Lewes Farmers Market
Photo Courtesy Historic Lewes Farmers Market
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM), a nonprofit organization that manages community-based farmers markets in Lewes, Delaware, was established in 2006. Its mission is to nurture a vibrant local food system in the Delmarva Peninsula that is sustainable and socially responsible.
HLFM focuses on empowering emerging farmers and community education on why it is vital to preserve local farmland. The market also pushes for an equitable distribution system “that increases healthy food access, reduces food waste, and benefits our entire community.”
This past season, HLFM had a Saturday Summer Market (May 4 to Sept. 28) in George H.P. Smith Park from 8 a.m. to noon and a Wednesday Market (June 5 to Sept. 4) at Crooked Hammock Way and Kings Highway from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A Saturday Fall Market was held (Oct. 5 to Nov. 23) at Lewes Elementary School Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to noon.
The operation features producer-only vendors selling fresh produce, eggs, fruits, bread, baked goods, meats, seafood, cut flowers, and herbs. Want to learn how to cook that special dish or grow the sweetest corn? HLFM also features workshops by local chefs who use food from the marketplace, wellness providers, and sustainable agriculture and gardening experts.
The community is the center of all HLFM’s work. In 2008, it partnered with the Lewes Public Library to bring Children’s Storytime to the market every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Customers looking to assist their neighbors and feed the local community can give a monetary donation, which will be used to buy produce, meats, milk, and other food from market growers and given to Sussex County Food Pantries every Saturday.
Community members can use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Double Up Food Bucks, and WIC benefits to make purchases. The market also works with The Farm to Community Pilot Program, a partnership funded by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. Its goal is to strengthen the local food system by supporting small, family farmers while bringing fresh food to those in need.
Take a look at the market’s website for resources on sustainable agricultural practices.
Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market
Photo Courtesy Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market
If you are taking that much-needed beach getaway, make sure to stop by the Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market (RBFM). RBFM, a nonprofit organization that brings vendors to the Rehoboth Beach area in eastern Sussex County, opened on June 5, 2007, with about 14 vendors and has grown to around 40.
Every participating vendor is based within 100 miles of the market at 501 Rehoboth Avenue in Grove Park. RBFM was open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine) for the 2024 season, May through October.
The 2024 season included merchants selling everything from produce to flowers to bath products from Alni Body Care items and beverages from GAIA Coffee and Federal Brewing Co.’s kombucha. Sweet treats were on deck with Zazers ice cream and The Point bakery. Community members are able to use WIC and Senior Coupons toward their RBFM purchases.
To stay abreast of the happenings with RBFM, customers can look at a free weekly newsletter with information on Rehoboth Beach. The market’s website also provides information and detailed recipes using ingredients found at the marketplace.
Bethany Beach Farmers Market
Photo Courtesy Bethany Beach Farmers Market
Another beach farmers market can be found at the Bethany Beach Farmers Market (BBFM). The Sussex County operation was established during the summer of 2007 and is located at the corner of Garfield Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue in Bethany Beach, Delaware. The operation was open every Sunday during the 2024 season from June to September from 8 a.m. to noon.
The market’s goal is to be a “Sell What You Grow” market, seeking mostly family growers with farms nearby. BBFM features regionally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, mushrooms, cheese, eggs, bread, herbs, native flowers, and grasses.
BBFM’s logo says “Our Growers, Our Neighbors,” and this principle is evident in its work in the community. The market is managed by a nonprofit with a Board of Directors consisting of volunteers and local growers. BBFM also encourages community members to come to the marketplace and share how the operation has contributed to their Farm-to-Table experience.
“We are proud that our market is a nonprofit, community-run, producers-only market,” Ron Calef, Bethany Beach vice-mayor and market volunteer, told Coastal Point. “Our invited vendors only sell products they grow, produce, or catch within 120 miles of Bethany Beach.”
Check out BBFM’s website for detailed recipes using ingredients found at the farmers market. Customers can also sign up for the Market Report newsletter.
