My Time At the Farmers Market
April 11, 2023
By: Anessa Gilbert
All photos were taken by Anessa Gilbert and are placed above each shop description.
I’ve lived in quite a few places in Indiana. I have also visited many cities. But for my admission at IUS, I lived in New Albany for quite some time. I got to know the city pretty well. I had visited the same stores so often that I remembered the layouts and got frustrated when they changed the aisle of something I needed. Still, one place I often neglected to visit was the local New Albany farmers’ market. I had known of its presence for a while and it just always slipped my mind. I am now a Clark County resident and I knew I couldn’t wait anymore. I decided to go on one Saturday. To make my feelings brief, it was wonderful. The people were amazing to see and speak to, even if I went when the weather was bad. After speaking to several people, I realized I definitely need to visit in the summertime when there are many more sellers around. Nevertheless, I had a great time. I was able to take photos of each person I had spoken to, with permission of course. Each photo will have a description of the business, the owner, and information on how to contact them.
For my first stop at the farmer’s market, I spoke with Heather Brandt. She runs a gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free bakery. All of her baked goods looked amazing and she was very friendly. She decided to operate this business due to her own struggles with having very limited options for gluten-free baked goods.
Contact Info:
#502-625-5357
Follow on Instagram and Facebook
For my next stop, I couldn’t help but drool. Minniequa Johnson is the owner of Royal Couture Treats Boutique. She started her bakery during COVID-19 and was inspired by her grandmother. I stopped at the end of my trip and grabbed one of her vanilla cake pops for three dollars. To be simple about it, it was amazing. It was quite possibly the best cake pop I’ve ever had. She makes everything from cakes, cupcakes, banana bread, cookies, and even sells soup! Moreover, all of her goods are priced exceptionally well. I highly recommend it.
Contact Info:
#812-914-9057
Instagram: royalcouturetreats.com
Facebook: Royal Couture Treats
This next stop was very special. This is a husband and wife duo. Terri Sanders is an IUS alumnus. She was a teacher who taught sustainability and recycling. She sources the bottles and paints ethically from landfills while her husband does the craftsmanship. They were lovely to talk to and have a great message on sustainability. She hand paints all of her products and is amazing at it. At the time, they were also selling homemade dog beds made by veterans, but they will not be selling them in the future. All in all, the dedication these two have is unmatched in trying to save the earth, one bottle at a time.
Contact Info: Terri Sanders
Yahoo: vets4pets@yahoo.com
#812-989-3487 (text only)
Personal Email: daleterri3858@gmail.com
Another amazing husband and wife duo – Bill Miller and Alexis Escobar. Or should I say Bill the Scrub King and Alexis the Soap Queen. They both own the stand known as Bahookie Soap. Bill suffers from a skin condition where he needs special soap. He found it difficult to find what works for him. Their solution was simple…make their own soap! They have been making soap for two years and selling it for about a year. They are also sustainably sourced as they source the fat for their soaps from local butchers to prevent waste. They also put local honey in their soap. Miller brought great insight into the hardships of small business owners. I never realized this before, but they have to pay to have a spot at the farmer’s market. Sometimes the cost of the site can be more than what they make in a day. Some small business owners struggle due to the cost of the spots. Regardless, they are very passionate about providing soap that works for all skin types, including sensitive ones. Since I was speaking to people in the frigid air, my hands had become numb and Bill had given me one of his hot hand packs. The gesture was so kind and I thought about it for a long time. I want more people to support them as they make so many excellent products and are so nice.
Contact Info:
Alexis Escobar #502-608-4571
Bill Miller #270-304-7304
Facebook: Bahookie-Soap
Email: Abahookiesoap@gmail.com
I was very excited to speak to the “honey man.” He owns this honey business along with his wife. Their business is called Whisman’s Backyard Honey. I was only able to speak with Mike. He has been a beekeeper for over 22 years and has been selling for over ten. Not only is he a beekeeper, but he is also an IUS alumnus from the class of 1989 with a degree in math. It was lovely to speak to him; he is incredibly passionate about his work. I am an avid honey lover and put it on my food almost daily. When I returned to his stand, I intended on buying some bottles, only for him to say it was free! I insisted on paying but he just said it was a “student discount.” It was so nice as I know it is hard work to keep bees and harvest honey. He sells delicious honey and also works to save the bees. He stood out to me the most because we spoke for the longest, and he also gave me some freebies which were very appreciated.
Contact Info:
#502-594-3270
#502-262-2816
Email: pdwhisman@hotmail.com
Axel Cooper is a local farmer who owns the business Lost Creek Acres. He once worked in a restaurant and saw other local farmers provide produce, which inspired him to start growing. His mother is also a gardener, which inspires him as well. He has been selling at the market for 12 years. His supply depends on the weather but is vast and abundant during the summer. Nevertheless, he was the busiest person in the entire farmers market.
Contact Info:
#502-216-1385
Matthew Burns owns and operates River View Farm. He began making soaps and lotion in Oregon and was inspired by the hemp plant. He currently lives in Elizabeth, Indiana, which is one of the reasons I stopped there since I used to live there. Hemp has helped with his health conditions and he promotes them in his products as well. He also has three greenhouses and grows his own vegetables as pictured. He has been selling at the market for two years and also has won two grants from the USDA.
Contact Info:
#812-704-9777
Facebook: River-View-Family-Farm
Bland owns Berserker Brew. Bland is an athlete who wanted coffee that will work for his lifestyle. However, he didn’t know how to make it so he is completely self-taught. Summer (the person pictured) works for him. I also tried their product and I’m the type of person who needs cream and sugar, but not with this coffee – it’s great on its own. Berserker Brew has been at the market for 12 years and Summer has been the front person for 3 years.
Contact Info:
#502-416-5701
