The Atchison Farmer's Market has improved greatly since my first review. The number of vendors have grown, and can number from 10-20 on Saturdays in the summers, with nearly all products sold made or grown locally and by the vendors selling them. Depending on the season you can find products ranging from fruits and vegetables to baked goods, eggs to coffee beans, frozen beef and chicken to goat milk soap. Some of my new favorite vendors include Two Hungry Lads, two local boys whose family's make delicious cheese biscuits and crostoli (fried dough with powdered sugar) and the Jirak family farm, which sells products from their own, and another family's farm that includes corn, melons, blackberries, and peaches.
In addition to finding great products, the location off of Main Street is in a great spot for people to meet and greet friends from town, listen to any groups performing, or watch cooking demonstrations. The local art association created a beautiful tile mosaic on the walls separating the plaza and the train tracks, and it has made a big difference in the look and feel of the market.
My biggest problem with the Atchison Farmer's Market is that Wednesdays and the beginning and end of the seasons can be hit-or-miss--sometimes there might be just 2 or 3 vendors out there. Also, as a consequence of the vendors selling items they mostly personally grow, there are days when there isn't variety of products. Also, I wish the hours were longer on Saturdays. However, for a small city, the Atchison Farmer's Market is fantastic. It's fun to check out and it's great to support local farmers. read more