Seed Garlic for Sale

Garlic available at the Duluth Farmers Market for eating and planting.

Several growers have named varieties of garlic for sale. Since these are locally grown 

they may be purchased for planting stock.  If you intend to plant them, the bulbs need to be kept dry until planting time in October. Prepare a deep loose bed enriched with compost. The bed should not have grown Garlic relatives (onions, leeks, shallots, chives) within two years.

Break up the bulb into separate cloves, plant cloves 3-5 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, the garlic plants can produce a large root mass over the winter. Cover the garlic bed with 4-5 inches of a loose mulch like straw when the plants start to grow in Spring the garlic tops can grow through a loose mulch and mulch can be left in place to keep weeds down. Dig the garlic when 50% of the leaves have started to turn brown. They can be hung in a dry airy shady place until the outer leaf bases that wrap around the cloves are dry.  Garlic names in single quotation marks are the names of the cultivated varieties.

Deb Shubat has three varieties of hard neck garlic.

 ‘Samarkand’ also called Persian Star. “In 1989, it was found in a bazaar in Samarkand, Uzbekistan by the famed garlic collector, John Swenson. Though not long storing, this garlic has rich flavor. Throughout the US in Hardiness Zones 1-5, this garlic is a strong performer and reliable. “

Samarkand is the first of the three to be ready to harvest in late July. Each bulb has between 8-12 cloves, usually formed in one ring and all the same size. The bulbs and plants are small to medium sized and the garlic flavor is mellow and nutty.

‘Russian Giant ‘is “a Marbled Purple Stripe garlic with a rich, musky, garlicky flavor and is very hot when eaten raw. It can get really big when well grown and it has all the depth of flavor and long storage that Marbled Purple Stripe garlics are famed for, not to mention some of the largest bulbils of any garlic to speed up production since the bulbils can be eaten or planted.” The bulbs have an average of 4 large cloves.

‘Phillips’ Garlic “Named for a town in Maine. Strong rich pungent garlic flavor. It has a very rich, warm garlicky, mustardy, horseradish-like flavor with a healthy bite. Origin: Italy via NY & ME.”  The largest bulbs can be 3 inches in diameter, with 6-12 large cloves. These are long keepers and maturing later than Russian Giant and Samarkand.

Farm Lande has one variety of soft neck garlic.

‘Idaho silver’ “Original source unknown. Bulbs are a beautiful silver color, good size and character. Reddish-pink cloves. Well adapted to northern interior climates with cold winters. Raw, starts slowly with the heat building to very hot.”

John Stoltz of Sproutedearthfarm has loads of garlic that should be available late August.

Silverskin – Softneck (Popular for braiding), long storage life (10-12 months), High yielding in the garden

‘Silver White’ – Originally a California strain. Very Productive

‘Idaho Silver’- Well adapted to Northern Climates with cold winters. Very hot raw. Mild and sweet when baked.

Purple Stripe – Hardneck, medium storage life (approx 6 months), very flavorful 

‘Chesnok Red’ – From Shvelisi, Republic of Georgia. Retains shape and flavor when cooked – an excellent choice for baking.

‘Metechi’ – Beautifully colored bulbs. Easy to peel with a relatively short storage life.

Rocambole – Hardneck, medium storage life (4-6 months) Easy-peeling cloves

‘German Red’ – Grown in German communities throughout the U.S. for over a century. Complex and full flavor.

Porcelain – Hardneck, medium storage life (approx. 6 months). Very large cloves.

‘Music’ – A dependable variety, very large bulbs.

‘Romanian Red’ – Good storage, Hot and pungent.

The Usual Suspects

Thank you to our wonderful “band in residence” The Usual Suspects for another great season of music!

Terrance Smith (guitar, 218-728-1438), Kelly Smith (guitar), Shari Zoff (fiddle), Dan Kislinger (banjo), Jim Larson (dulcimer), and Jeff Greensmith (bass).

COVID-19 Safety

Dear Customers,

We look forward to seeing you this year, and hope that you will come out as always to support your local farmers and buy our products.  The market will be different this year, with many of the things that make farmers markets fun on hold.  We are making these changes and enacting new rules because we want you and our farmers to remain healthy.  It’s a team effort, and we need your help to ensure the market remains safe.  Know that COVID-19 rules from the state level exist, and in order to remain open, need to be followed.

Please follow the market’s rules during this time:

  • No dogs/pets.
  • No musician performances indoors.
  • Please don’t come to market if you are sick.
  • Keep 6 feet apart: look for the chalk lines on the floor.
  • Limit the number of family members.
  • Only 30 customers allowed in the market at one time.
  • No eating or drinking in the market.
  • No touching veggies.
  • If you bring your own reusable bag or box you must load it yourself.
  • Please wear a mask; gloves are encouraged.
  • Please do any socializing outside the market building, and respect social distancing guidelines while doing so.
  • These rules will change as needed, and someday we can go back to mask-free fun.

Note that many members are taking pre-orders that can be collected outside.  Take advantage of this service to save time and limit social contact.  Each farm has its own system; for a pre-order guide, go here.

There will be no samples, no coffee to drink, and no special events this year.  For now, the POP Club is suspended (EBT continues as in years past).

Thanks for your support,

The Duluth Farmers Market

June Market Sightings

This June the season kicks into gear and we see our first vegetables at the market

Leafy vegetables include fresh kale, romaine, lettuce, spicy green and mixed green combinations! Other vegetables include kohlrabi, radishes, turnips, and bok choy.  Some blueberry plants and other fruit trees are available. We will also continue to offer fresh flowers, meats, cheeses, teas, maple syrup, and mushrooms. Word off the street from Miel is that honey may be making an appearance towards the end of the month, so be on the lookout when you stop in!

May Market Sightings

The Farmers Market is officially open, so what can you expect to find?  May is the season of transplants, and from flowers, to berries, to veggie starts we have a lot to offer.  Are you looking for something for tonight’s dinner?  Here are some sightings from opening day to give you an idea what you might find:

 

 

 

 

Remember we also have meat and egg vendors this year.  Clover Valley Farms is offering rabbit, and Roper Farms is offering chicken, beef, turkey and eggs.

Earth Day Celebration at the Duluth Farmers Market

Earth Day is an annual tradition at the Duluth Farmers Market, and like always, we are excited to for you join us as we celebrate.  This year we will have a kids activity table with coloring and a planting activity.  Terrence Smith with be here doing live music, and weather permitting, a maypole dance.

This year’s vendors include our members Talmadge Farms, Miel Duluth, Clover Valley Farms, Farmer Doug, On Eagles Wings Farm, Ginny Larva, Peggy Sobczak, and Tiny Farm Duluth.

Additionally, we will be joined by June Bug Bee Farm, WLSSD, Essentia Health, Burdock Studio, Eco Craft Store, The Nutty Minnesotan and Lake Superior Spice Company.

Festivities start at 10 AM and will continue until 3:00 PM.

Welcome to Your Farmers Market

Hello Duluth,

Welcome to our new website.  We at the market are excited for this new platform to share our story, and hope you enjoy coming here to stay updated on our events and news.

You probably by now have noticed our new logo on Instagram and Facebook, and now this new web page.  In fact, it is not a new logo, but a reinvention of one we used years ago.  Take a look at the cute illustration below; this was shared during one of our meetings this spring and immediately got an enthusiastic response from our members.  I think it’s because it really communicates who we are.

From the depiction of our beloved building, to the abundance of vegetables and fruits, to the text, this old logo tells our story.  Why we haven’t been using it in recent years is unknown.  As we move forward trying to stay more connected in this digital landscape, however, it also feels appropriate to reach backward to our roots.  That is why we are once again using this logo: as we move forward and grow, we also want to always remember our history and honor those who have worked so hard to get this great market started–and keep it running.  Did you know we are celebrating 107 year?  Incredible!

Take a moment and read this old logo’s text.  Notice how it says Duluth’s Farmer’s Market: while we are no longer Duluth’s only farmers market, we hope you will make us yours.

Please join us as we both celebrate our past and grow into the future.  Here’s to a great year of delicious food and meeting your  farmers

Best,

Your Farmers Market