“People are social, and there’s not a whole lot of other opportunity to just go somewhere and socialize with all of your neighbors.”

Lisa Surma Borick said it simply, and she’s right.

Farmers markets are not just places to buy produce, baked goods, flowers, meats, soaps, coffee, mushrooms, or whatever else ends up in your bag on a Saturday morning. They are places where people see their neighbors. They are places where kids grow up knowing the vendors. They are places where customers do not just say they are going to buy something. They say they are going to see someone.

We spoke with Lisa Surma Borick of the Nazareth Economic Development Commission and Nazareth Farmers Market, and Emily Roland, Farmers’ Market Manager with the Greater Easton Development Partnership and Easton Farmers’ Market, about why farmers markets still feel so important right now.

Easton Farmers’ Market has roots dating back to 1752 and is known as America’s oldest continuously operating open-air market. Nazareth Farmers Market was reestablished in 2010 and has grown into a weekly gathering place in the center of town.

But the bigger story is not just history. It is what these markets do every week.

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Emily talked about the work people do not always see: selecting vendors, balancing farmers with prepared food and specialty vendors, handling permits, road closures, parking, layouts, special events, and all the details that make a market feel easy for the people walking through it.

Lisa talked about how markets create ownership. People say “my market.” They know the vendors by name. They bring their kids. They make the market part of their weekend rhythm.

The conversation also gets into the phrase “buy fresh, buy local” and what it actually means. Supporting a farmers market helps local farms, small businesses, makers, bakers, and families. It keeps money closer to home. It also supports food access programs, including SNAP matching programs that help more people buy fresh food while also helping farmers bring in more income.

As Emily said, “It’s so much more than buying.”

That is why farmers markets matter more than ever. They are not just about food. They are about people, place, access, relationships, and community.

GUESTS:

Lisa Surma Borick
Nazareth Downtown Manager
Nazareth Economic Development Commission / Nazareth Farmers Market

Emily Roland
Farmers’ Market Manager
Greater Easton Development Partnership / Easton Farmers’ Market

WEBSITES:

Nazareth Farmers Market:
https://nazarethfarmersmarket.com

Nazareth Economic Development Commission:
https://nazarethpanow.com

Easton Farmers’ Market:
https://eastonfarmersmarket.com

Greater Easton Development Partnership:
https://eastonpartnership.org

HOSTS:

George Wacker
Lehigh Valley with Love Media

Jeff Warren
Co-host, Off The Record with Lehigh Valley with Love
Northampton County Commissioner
Host of The Philly Sports Table

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