Soulard Farmers' Market: Comments from Insiders and Guide for Beginners
Good Neighbors Create Better Neighborhoods
Soulard in Literature: Stephen E. Ambrose, Tim Fox and Eric Sandweiss, Betty Pavlige, Arthur Proetz and Adolf Schultz
Soulard Market Regulars, Page Four
Tell It to Quality Control
 Benton Park resident Yelena Amirova says that the Soulard Market reminds her of similar types of markets found in her homeland, Uzbekistan. Pet Thisby enjoys treats from Soulard Market. (People Productions photo by Clark Rowley) |
The second problem at the market is that there is a difficulty in getting some of the vendors to understand that product quality is an issue.
"You have to pay close attention from whom you are buying," Michelle concedes. "I shop by vendor, first and foremost, not by what is offered," she says. "And the farmers are tops on my list. They take pride in themselves and their produce," she observes. "This makes a difference." Michelle is a commercial real estate broker and development consultant with Duffe-Nuernberger Realty.
Gina has a similar attitude. "I carefully evaluate what I see before I purchase, and I do not buy from vendors I do not trust," she says.
The need for careful shopping doesn't seem to be a detriment for the many foreign-born shoppers at the market. Dorathea comments that "maybe newcomers to the market should watch those folks. Some grew up shopping at open-air markets, not supermarkets. They could teach us a thing or two, I imagine," she says.
One foreign-born shopper, Yelena Shamilevna Amirova, explains that "at the bazaar, we always picked the produce we wanted, and we always bargained." Originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Lena now lives in Soulard.
In Tashkent, the markets, or bazaars, are everywhere and offer a vast spectrum of goods and services to meet the needs of the over 30 different nationalities represented in the city. "Soulard Market is a smaller but similar version of the markets I experienced," she notes.
 Mary Linden recently invested in facade improvements to her home. Her cornice and dormer windows were re-built and she had the mansard roof re-slated. (People Productions photo by Clark Rowley) |
In the meantime, shopping at the market "is a ritual with many people," Dorathea comments. "It's a St. Louis institution, a family social event, to come to the market," Sandra remarks.
Michelle agrees. "My four-year-old grandson loves to go to the market," she relates. "First we buy a monster cookie which lasts for the whole trip. While shopping, we visit the pet store, and he loves looking at the live poultry displayed at one of the booths. It is a whole ritual," she explains. "We have been doing this for several years."
Laura Cohen, executive director of Trailnet and project manager, Confluence Greenway, and a Central West End resident, explains that "Soulard Market is a real asset that should receive a lot more attention. St. Louis has a failing in that it tends to take some of its major points of interest for granted. However, in addition to being a great place to buy fruit and flowers and really fresh vegetables, it is an amazing place to just visit and to show off to newcomers and outsiders." Laura has been shopping at Soulard Market for over 20 years.