Summer vegetables conjure up fond memories for most people ? the heady aroma, the fresh taste, the crisp crunch, the flavorful juices dribbling down your chin.
Is there anything better? Probably not.
All those delightful summer veggies you know and love will be arriving in downtown Oxford on Saturday, Aug. 1 when Van Houtte Farm Market opens in the vacant parking lot between the Healthy Smile Center and Sisters? Hair Care in the northwest quadrant.
‘Chuck Schneider approached me about doing it,? said Jan Van Houtte, co-owner of the 120-acre family farming operation located on Romeo Plank Road in Armada. ‘So, I thought I’d try it. We’ll see how it goes.?
Schneider owns the vacant lot, which will house the farm market seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 pm. beginning Aug. 1, which also happens to be the day of Celebrate Oxford, and ending in October.
Cash, charge and WIC coupons will be accepted.
Van Houtte plans to sell sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, melons, potatoes, beets, zucchini, lettuce, radishes, carrots, pumpkins and much, much more.
‘Everybody loves the sweet corn,? she said. ‘They always say it’s the best they’ve ever had. I told Chuck if I can get people to taste the sweet corn, I’m in.?
What makes Van Houtte veggies so good?
‘I think it has a lot to do with our soil here in Armada,? sh e said. ‘Other people can buy the same plants and grow them, but it’s what’s in the soil that really makes the taste . . . We’re going to stay here until we retire because it’s good farmland.?
The Van Houtte Farm Market in Oxford will also sell peaches, plums and apples.
‘If we don’t grow it, we get it locally,? Van Houtte said.
Van Houtte Farms retails its produce at markets in several locations including Royal Oak, Walled Lake, Wayne State University, Shelby Township, Southfield, Pontiac and Metamora.
Purchasing locally-grown vegetables and fruits allows consumers to learn more about the foods they’re eating because ‘you know the grower and you can usually ask them questions.?
‘You can ask culinary questions, how to use it, get recipes,? Van Houtte said. ‘It’s more personable.?
And because they’re grown or produced close to home, local foods usually have a much higher quality in Van Houtte’s opinion.
‘It’s not shipped for days and days, so it’s going to taste better,? she said.
Van Houtte Farms, which Jan co-owns with her husband, Don, has been in business for 20 years.
‘Both of us grew up on farms, so we’ve been farming our whole lives,? she said.
Today, the family operation includes five of their six children plus the oldest of their seven grandchildren.
Van Houtte’s already pretty familiar with Oxford given she used to work at Sweet & Savory Bake Shop from time to time. She has a culinary arts degree.
‘I like Oxford a lot,? she said. ‘It’s a nice little town.?