Love Your Farmer's Market Contest

Having a weekend farmer's market in the neighborhood is great. Terrific variety of fresh produce, baked goods, and services -- within a walkable distance! Spread the word!

The Portage Park market is a tremendous addition to this neighborhood and adds a whole new dimension to the ways in which the park begins the local community together.

A beautiful park such as Portage Park is the perfect location to experience the fun and freshness of the Farmer's Market. It is very convenient for people who live on the west side.

This is the market's first year and it has been a great addition to the neighborhood. There is a variety of vendors and great product available. I love it!

My family supports the Portage Park Farmer's Market because we are committed to promoting small, sustainable farms serving the Chicago area. The interchange between our neighborhood and the farmers provides the foundation for seasonal local agriculture and sustainable regional cuisine.

I support POrtage Park Farmer's Market because Portage Park is a great place to live and having a Farmer's Market makes it even better!

The space is perfect, the stands are clean and their is a wonderful variety of choice -- and they provide entertainment.

It's a fun neighborhood market with great music, nice people, and a great variety of items. We're especially fond of the meat and eggs.

Wonderfully fresh, locally grown produce and other goods...Convenient services like knife sharpening...

It's about time our enormous park had a Farmer's Market! Hopefully, we'll soon have the entire park filled with vendors! I love the ones we have now though! The fruits and vegetables we've purchased have been outstanding as well as the long-lasting flowers that brighten our kitchen. It's also great to see so many neighbors at the park socializing. Love it!

It is my neighborhood market. Keeping it local is important to me, not just in terms of buying local produce, but supporting the local community, too. Lastly, it's one of the very few markets open on Sunday which is important to me.

Love fresh, local produce. Plus they such a big variety of things, like I can get my knives and scissors sharpened while I shop.

It's wonderful to finally have something so fresh and lovely in our neighborhood rather than having to drive to another. This is a great opportunity to shop fresh, support local, and get outside!

Portage park RULES!

A great way to not only buy produce for your family, but to meet your neighbors and chit-chat for a bit as well!!!!

Great produce!!

Allows me to help support the farmers community by providing me with my favorite fruits and vegetables within walking distance of my home.

Produce in the Park - one of summer's pleasures!

The selection keeps getting better every market! Way to go Portage Park Farmer's Market!

because you can get fresh produce and a wonderful place to be

Portage Park has always been a great area of the city, however it's truly lacked a sense of community. This market not only brings fresh fruits, veges and produce from local vendors to us, it allows the community to come out and meet each other in the beautiful setting that is Portage Park. It's also wonderful that the committee that has advocated for this market is bringing attention to the needs of the park and playground. Kuddos to you all!!!

Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables are rarely available via neighborhood organizations. This is great!

Fresh produce in a wonderful park setting.

It's right next door! And has great, fresh food.

It's so nice to have this available in our neighborhood, I used to have to get in the car and travel to ones around the city.

I like fresh fruits and veggies.

we need natural homegrown produce close by.organic and inexpensive helps too. we are grateful that it is so close to us.

It is fantastic in many ways. First of all, it is always nice to be able to support local vendors. Secondly, we are able to buy fresh produce, etc. Finally, and certainly not the least...it brings out the local community.

I like to support locally grown foods and it is nice that a farmer's market opened by my house.

We need local farmers in Portage Park! Let's keep spreading the goodness!

It is in my neiborhood, offers fresh,healthy food choices and I can meet my neighbours and their kids there, too.

Fresh, organic, inexpensive products. Friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable vendors. And because I can walk to Portage Park from my home.

It's off to a great start--they have a nice range of products available through various vendors. We're so glad to have a Farmer's Market in right here in our park!

We really appreciate having organic fruits and veggies in our neighborhood!

I live 2 blocks from the park and though I visit other local farmers market's each week, I'm happy to find another so close to my home.

We all should think globally but not forget to act and buy locally. God Bless.

This is a brand new market. The neighborhood is mixed, eastern European, Latin, and recently more young professionals. This is a very important step in this community's progress from a solely immigrant community. We really need this small market to succeed and take hold in the neighborhood.

It's important to buy local. Love that we have a market in our neighborhood now!!

Brand new and long awaited. What is better than fighting city hall and WINNING! Especially when the spoils are fresh veggies, cheeses, salsa and sweets.

Close to home:)

thrilled to have it in my neighborhood!

THE FRES HEALTHY FOOD AND THE PARK IS BEAUTIFUL CLOSE TO HOME.

It's close and convenient.

Great location!

It is very important to have acess to the freshest food available.

The strawberry and raspberry preserves from Tomato Mountain Farm are great. I have been looking for them since I bought some a couple of years ago.

We recently moved to the neighborhood and are very interested in the success of a farmers market and the park as a whole

Great merchandise

It is great to be able to get really fresh locally grown food, at my local park!

freshness, quality and locally produced

I was at the first one! Great time..spent a lot of money!

It's wonderful to have fresh and healthy foods brought in to a local open air market! I just hope it gets bigger with more choices!

BEAUTIFUL park. Diverse people. Gorgeous produce! Long live the Portage Park Farmer's Market! :-)

It's wonderful to support locally and also it's good for you.

Supporting local growers and producers is important to me and it's great to have a farmer's market so close to home. This is an exciting new addition to Portage Park and I love it!

Portage Park Farmers Market is run by local community residents trying to better the neighborhood and repair the park's playground. These local events keep the neighborhood strong and together for the better living environment. Ladies and gentlemen keep up the good work. It is great to live in a strong close knit neighborhood John Eischen

I live across the street from the park and i'm so excited to have fresh produce every other week right in our backyard. Last week I purchased some great cheese and kettle corn and am looking forward to great vegetables when they are in season. It was also great to see my neighbors as we all live such busy lives and it was great to catch up.

How wonderful to have fresh quality produce just a block away from home. Portage Park has needed something like this for a long time to get the neighbors involved and people appreciating the great park that it is.

I was very excited to hear of Portage Park finally starting a market. I love the fact that its in my neighborhood and I could bump into my friends/neighbors while shopping for fresh local produce.

Bringing quality products to a community that is starving for events like these and through this market serving as a vehicle for residents to build a sense of community is why I support this market. First market had a great turnout and the market will grow and bring recogniation to the park advisory council that is working hard to bring improvements to the park.

I support this market because it's near my house and it's a labor of love. There are great, involved vendors, and it appears to be still growing. There is also live music. It's an excellent way for everyone to meet their neighbors, hang out and discuss good food options. Yum!

Great new market in this neighborhood. A lot of fun.

This market was dreamed up last winter by local residents who wanted access to more fresh, local produce and felt it was important to spread this growing re-introduction of local markets to the local populace. Portage Park has never had a market before and so, 2009 is it's first season, beginning today, actually! I support them because I know the area and think that it is a terrific opportunity to grow a deeper sense of community, giving neighbors a chance to meet and talk about eating while also serving the very practical desire to bring healthy food choices to the forefront of weekend culture.