By Ashley Peng
Correspondent
Beginning on Thursday mornings, drivers pull into the parking lot of the over 80-year-old Trenton Farmers Market. Inside of the market, there’s a familiar scene of people browsing, buying or eating the products from nearly 40 different vendors housed in the market. One can find everything from farm fresh produce to baked goods and takeaway meals.
“We have a lot of customers who come in and they don’t know if they need anything or if they want anything, but they come here and always find something,” said Trenton Farmers Market manager Bill Kearney ‘86.
The market was originally a place for local farmers to convene in one area to sell produce. The first location was near Coopers Riverview in Trenton, and has since been located on Spruce Street in Lawrence Township. The building is set up in a cross-like shape, with each section of the market consisting of different vendors.
A notable vendor is Lady and The Shallot, which offers a variety of vegan and gluten-free dishes. It offers both dine-in or take out options. One of the owner's recommended dishes is the rainbow tacos, which consists of smashed avocado, red cabbage, yellow corn, tomatoes, a house made lemon caper aioli and roasted chickpeas — all placed on corn tortillas.
Just steps away from Lady and The Shallot is Terra Momo Bread Company, selling bakery staples such as breads, cookies and croissants. Terra Momo Bread Company offers a few different croissant flavors, but the strawberry croissant is my personal favorite. They also have a physical bakery in Pennington that has more baked goods to offer.
In what could be considered the north wing of the market is Tea-For-All, a specialty tea shop that sells a variety of products. It has a menu of hot and cold tea-based drinks that changes seasonally. It has a quaint seating area for customers to enjoy their drinks.
For a visually appealing drink that can be posted to social media, but also tastes good, try the butterfly pea flower tea with the seasonal hibiscus lemonade.
The owners of Tea-For-All are very knowledgeable about all the varieties of tea they offer and are more than willing to answer any questions.
Next door to Tea-For-All is the Savory Leaf Cafe. They are another plant-based food vendor that specializes in vegan versions of classic comfort foods such as pizza, mac and cheese, burgers and sandwiches. Although some of the vegan alternatives aren’t exact to the original meat-based versions, Savory Leaf Cafe still offers good options for those who are on plant-based diets.
The Pie’d Piper sells a variety of baked goods and pierogies. The pierogies are freshly made and sold in packs that are made to be taken home to cook. Its donuts are one of its many popular items and have a variety of flavors.
The most recommended by the vendor is the Amish Long John. It is a log-shaped donut with vanilla creme filling. For those that like their sweets on the sweeter side, the Pie’d Piper is the place to go.
Terhune’s Orchard is known for their family-owned farm located in Princeton. However, some of the items sold at their farm’s store can also be found at the Trenton Farmers Market. It sells fresh produce, pies, cookies and its famous cider donuts.
The Trenton Farmers Market is a less than 10-minute drive from the College’s campus, and offers students a place to go explore during down time or on the weekends. The farmers market is open year round on Thursdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We have such a diverse offering of vendors, as well as customers, that it’s one of the few places in the area where everyone can come together, feel comfortable and forget the troubles of what’s outside,” Kearney said. “It’s a kind of a little local utopia.”
