Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Johnson.
Lori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Delray Beach GreenMarket was established in 1996 by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The Market hosts 65+ farmers, bakers, and small batch food artisans offering farm-to-table produce, freshly baked loaves of bread, pastry croissants, bagels, cheese, seafood, Florida grass-fed beef, poultry, eggs, bone broth, eggs, pasta, granola, jams and more.
The Winter Market is open every Saturday from mid-October thru mid-May from 9 to 2 pm in Old School Square Park in downtown Delray Beach. The Summer Market established in 2015 is open in June and July from 9-1 pm and hosts 40 vendors. Both Market offer cooking demonstrations by local celebrity chefs who shop the Market for the freshest market ingredients and create delicious dishes that you can recreate at home, sampling is required!
Shopping at the GreenMarket is an international culinary experience for your taste buds. Enjoy an al fresco lunch in the park feasting on Peruvian empanadas, tamales, seafood or vegan paella, ceviche, Indian cuisine, Italian ices, Nigerian Akara fritters, Chesapeake Bay shrimp salad, crab cakes, and chowder.
The Market is a throwback to a time when open-air markets and sharing food experiences with the butcher or shopkeeper was a common denominator in everyone’s life. The Market is where you can meet the people who make and produce your food and establish a relationship with them. “There are no strangers at the GreenMarket only friends you haven’t met yet,” says Lori Johnson, the GreenMarket Manager. Support local food and head down to the Delray GreenMarket, it is sure to be a feast for your eyes and ears with flavors to delight every palate.
Theirs live music and free parking in the City parking garage right next door until 4 pm and don’t leave Fido at home, the Market is vendor pet-friendly offering air-dried, minimally processed all-natural dog treats including chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef, and more, stop by for a sample. You’ll also find Dezzy’s Second Chance Rescue and Tri-County Humane at the Market featuring dogs looking for their fur-ever homes.
Be sure to follow Delray Greenmarket on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our monthly newsletter at delraycra.org for news and updates.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The weather can be challenging as we are open rain or shine, we do however close for lightning storms and hurricanes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Relocating the Market is challenging and we have had many homes over the years, we’ve been in the CRA parking lot, NE 1st Street, Tennis Center, Worthing Park, SE 4th Street, and we finally landed in Old School Square Park in 2012.
The park has restrooms, a playground, and a four-story parking garage next door. I have increased the number of vendors since relocating to the park and now host 65+ of South Florida’s premier food vendors.
What do you think about luck?
I have always been blessed in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.delraycra.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelrayBeachGreenMarket
Image Credits
Lori Johnson
