Late Summer Fruits And Veggies Offer Fresh Alternatives

Some fresh produce that was available Tuesday at the Oskaloosa Farmers Market

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Summer has nearly slipped away, but the Oskaloosa Farmers Market continues to provide some of the freshest produce to area residents. As the season moves along, different fruits and vegetables become available.

“It’s been good tonight,” was Larry Engbers response to the question of how farmers market had been for him. Engbers, of Pella, has brought his fresh berries and seedless grapes to approximately five markets held in Oskaloosa so far this year.

Engbers says that dealing with Mother Nature has been a challenge this year. “I lost my raspberries and my blueberries. I had a good crop of blackberries. The grapes were fair and the seedless grapes were good.”

Engbers started raising grapes back in 2001 and his wife and he have developed a liking for different varieties. Canadice, a seedless red grape with a bit of a spicy flavor, is his favorite while the Mars, a blue seedless table grape with labrusca flavor similar to Concord grapes, is his wife’s.

Engbers thinks he should have seedless grapes available for a couple more weeks yet this year.

Doug Bougroewell has been a fixture around the Oskaloosa Farmers Market for many years, at least since 1995 as he can best remember.

Doug said that this year, the extreme temperatures did more damage to his crops than the dry conditions. “It always tastes better when it’s a little on the drier side.”

Farmers say that the dry conditions allow for the sugars to develop better, enhancing the taste.

Doug says that the joy of growing the vegetables and the extra income are reasons why he’s done it for so long, but this year could be his last at the farmers market. Doug says this year will probably be his last at the farmers market, because with the price for soybeans and corn it makes more sense to plant his fields with those crops. Another contributing factor was a change in family life, with his children becoming more active in sports and other activities.

But for now, you can find the Oskaloosa Farmers market happening every Tuesday late afternoon on the square and Saturday mornings by the MCG parking lot. Pumpkin season is coming soon, but the hot weather may have impacted pollination and those jack-o-lanterns could end up costing you more.