LEWES, Del. — This Saturday it’s all about Delaware peaches at the Market. At 10 am in the Demo tent, the Market presents duo Henry Bennett of Bennett Orchards and Dru Tevis, Corporate Pastry Chef of SoDel Concepts, voted 2023 Delaware Today’s Best Chef Downstate, and winner of the national Holiday Baking Championship. Henry Bennett, a sixth-generation farmer, will talk about what it takes to grow Bennett Peaches. Located in an Agricultural Preservation District, Bennett Orchards is recognized as one of the First State’s Century Farms. Then Chef Dru Tevis will take those Bennett peaches and make two fabulous peachy recipes, one sweet and one savory, with “drop style” Buttermilk Biscuits. The savory is made with Bennett peaches, blue cheese, figs, and dates. The sweet is made with Bennett peaches, brown sugar, and cinnamon. This is a customer favorite Demo over the years, and a tasting not to be missed!
The melons are coming, the melons are coming! First watermelons are now appearing at the Market as well as peaches, sweet corn, sweet Sungold tomatoes, various heirloom tomato varieties, beets, carrots, cucumbers, all types of summer squash, potatoes, kale, Bok Choy, green beans, broccoli, radishes, Swiss chard, arugula, lettuces, tilapia fish, oysters, live crabs, hand-picked crab meat, crabcakes, crab salad, grass-fed chicken, beef, lamb, and pork, honey, mushrooms, eggs, yogurt, milk, butter, fresh coffee drinks, kombucha, cold-pressed juices, jams, fresh-baked breads, pastries made with fruit from the vendors at the Market, ice cream and smoothies, herb, veggie, and flower plants, cut-flower bouquets including zinnias, sunflowers, and more.
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market is unique in that it is producer-only—customers are able to buy directly from the farmer who grew the produce. This Market is where the farmers are—the most farmers in any farmers market in the Delmarva.
The popular Children’s Storytime at the Market, a partnership with the Lewes Public Library, starts at 10am under the yellow tent. Library volunteers read books about farming, gardening, and healthy eating. All children and their adults are welcome. Thanks to Heirloom Restaurant for sponsoring this program.
The HLFM Big Raffle continues with 3 stupendous prizes: a $1,400 gift certificate to Seagreen Bicycle; the Fabu-Lewes Feast including 12–$100 restaurant gift cards; and a Private-in-Home 3-Course Chef’s Tasting with Wine Pairing for 10 by Chef Sean Corea from Lewes Oyster House. Tickets are on sale at the Market, and the drawing is September 2nd. Customers do not have to be present to win.
The bigger and even better HLFM Wednesday Market at Crooked Hammock Brewery continues every Wednesday of the summer into the first week of September from 8 to 11:30 am. This easy in-and-out Market now has fifteen vendors. Vendors include new chicken vendor, Mahon River Farm, joining 302 Aquaponics, Beachdog Farm, Bennett Orchards, Cosmic Dog Farm, Davidson’s Exotic Mushrooms, Dittmar Family Farms, Gaia Coffee Co, Hattie’s Garden, Kalmar Farm, Lucky Penny Flower Farm, Marsh Creek Cattle and Company, Stag Run Farm, Tout de Suite Patisserie, and Two Sweet Beaches Bakery. Thanks to Crooked Hammock Brewery for sponsoring the Wednesday Market.
Save the dates! The Historic Lewes Farmers Market has two exciting events coming up at the Saturday Market at George H. P. Smith Park. On Saturday, August 5, the HLFM will hold its annual Tomato Festival, where customers can bring their largest home-grown tomatoes for the Biggest Tomato at the Market contest, enter the Guess the Number of Tomatoes in the Jar for a prize for the closest guess, a 10am demonstration from Heirloom restaurant, and more. On Saturday, August 19, Kid’s Day at the Market returns with a special Children’s Storytime, Market demonstration, and kid’s activities and games throughout the Market.
Dogs at the Market must be under control on a tightly held, non-retractable leash inside the Market to ensure the safety of all customers at the Market.
The Market moves to the Lewes Elementary School parking lot at 820 Savannah Road in inclement weather.
The HLFM website www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org lists all vendors, their contact information, and whether or not they take pre-orders. For pre-orders, the customer may pick up at the vendor tent in the market.
The Market’s weekly newsletters list demos, what each farmer/producer is bringing each Saturday and Wednesday markets, and more. To receive the newsletter, customers should email [email protected] and ask to be added to the list.
The Market accepts SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP benefits and continues to match SNAP up to $20 per market, per customer. Please go to the SNAP tent to process SNAP/EBT.
The HLFM continues its Food Pantry Purchase Program. HLFM customers who want to help feed the local community may purchase local produce, meats, milk, and other food from growers at the Market to donate to this program every Saturday. At the end of the Market, the produce and other foods are gathered and given to food pantries including Epworth and Casa San Francisco. The HLFM thanks its customers for their generosity.
The Market thanks The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 2023 HLFM Market Champion, for their continued support of the Market. It also thanks all the 2023 Sponsors!
For more information go to www.HistoricLewesFarmersMarket.org, or find the Historic Lewes Farmers Market on Facebook or Instagram.
–Historic Lewes Farmers Market
