Govanstowne Farmers Market opens on York Road

The inaugural Govanstowne Farmers Market opened Wednesday afternoon and bore immediate fruit for area residents.

"I love the fact that it's here and that it's not (open) the first thing in the morning," said Virginia Rugemer, 66, of Govans.

Lia Purpura, who lives and works near the new market, was quick to check it out with her poodle, Ruby — even on a day when the temperature reached 92 degrees.

"I think it's a fantastic idea," said the writer-in-residence at nearby Loyola University Maryland.

The market, co-sponsored by the York Road Partnership and by Loyola University Maryland as part of its York Road Initiative, was planned with the help of Loyola business students and is located in a Loyola parking lot at 5104 York Road. It is the first of its kind in Govans and is only a pilot program for this summer, but is planned to return next summer, organizers said.

The goal is to bring healthy, fresh food to a stretch of York Road that has no supermarket, organizers said.

The idea grew out of a survey of area residents that the university conducted as part of its "Loyola is Listening" program.

The market will run for three more Wednesdays, from 3-7 p.m. each day.

Vendors were happy to be in on the ground level.

"You never know with the heat, but it's good so far," said Michael Lanasa of The Breadery, a bakery in Oella, near Ellicott City. He sold everything from challah and jalapeno cornbread to cinnamon swirl and 5-seed loaves of bread.

"There's a lot of people interested," said Emem Oduok, of Infused Spreads, whose table was stocked with jars of cherry berry jam, apricot balsamic glaze and other spreads. "People think we've been here for awhile."

Other vendors included Zach and Jack Food, selling health-oriented items such as veggie patties, hummus sandwiches and boats, grilled cheese sandwiches on multigrain bread, and cucumber water. They also sell at farmers markets in Highlandtown and Lauraville.

"This is our first season at any market," said Jack Neill, 22, there with Zach Schoettler, 21.

Both live in Bellona-Gittings and use a kitchen above Sofi's Crepes in the Women's Industrial Exchange downtown.

David Ecker came from Barber's Fruit Farm in Gettysburg, Pa.

"It's doing good so far," he said. "It seems like it would be a decent market."

An added bonus was a table where shoppers can use credit, debit or independence cards to buy wooden tokens for use at the market.

Loyola graduate students Molly Riley and Jackie Hewitt sat at a table for Loyola Clinical Centers, which offered free hearting screenings and gave away hand sanitizer.

Riley, too, was impressed with the crowds.

"It's more than I expected this early on — even with the heat."