Haymarket Farmers’ Market closes its 2022 season

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -- Saturday marked the end of the 2022 Farmers’ Market season. It was plagued with dry and hot weather, but the vendors said the season wasn’t a total loss.
Each Farmers' Market season brings visitors to Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket. This year, vendors had to deal with adverse conditions. Despite that, vendors said they are closing out another successful season.
“It’s a great way to get local people really involved with their community and supporting local businesses,” said Richard Lewis, customer.
Birdwood Beef has been running their family business, raising cattle and growing corn for over 100 years. This is only their second year of setting up shop at the market.
“It’s been a great season, I would say,” said Jacque Sass, co-owner of Birdwood Beef. “We love seeing, being down here in the Haymarket and having people on game day stopping through, its been a really successful season.”
It’s been a successful season despite the dry conditions this year.
“As far as our corn yield all of that, it definitely changed things as far as rations go for our cattle go, but we’re always able to supplement with other farmers,” Sass said.
Helgoths Melons, Pumpkins and Produce is a main staple at the market. They’re in their 28th year. The drier conditions did impact them.
“We put some of the product under pivots so that saved quite a bit, but we also have dryland, so the drought definitely affected a lot of the yield, especially on the bigger squash and pumpkins,” said vendors Colton and Laureen Helgoth.
They said the customers they see every year make those early mornings and long six months worth it.
“There’s a handful, they come every single week always big ole smile and light up our day, that’s one of the best parts is building that relationship over the years,” Colton and Laureen said. “Getting to know people too, yeah just get those whole sense of community.”
As for the plans for the off-season, some vendors will be resting, trying to recover.
The Haymarket Farmers’ Market will return May of 2023. As for the Farmer’s Market in Union College, visitors can still visit there through the end of the month.