Cambridge Farmers' Market popular place

Lorene Raburn picks through tomatoes to find the perfect one at the Cambridge Farmer's Market on Thursday evening. Raburn also bought one of the more popular items of the night, homemade pie. (Dawn Garcia/McCook Daily Gazette)

CAMBRIDGE -- What says summer better than a mouth-watering watermelon or hand-picked corn-on-the-cob? Located on Penn Street, just north of U.S. Highways 6-34, the Cambridge Farmer's Market provides a unique opportunity to shop for local farm fresh fruits, vegetables, freshly baked goods and homemade specialities, as well as a barbecue rib sandwich grilled by Two Men & A Grill.

Fruits and vegetables are truly fresh and locally grown. Browse the concessions for everything from sourdough bread, homemade pies and homemade ice cream to cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and 40-pound watermelons to homegrown flowers and turkey leg dinner on the spot.

"It has taken off beyond what I have dreamed. It has helped so many growers in our community and the consumers get a great deal, too," said Celia Nelson, founder of Cambridge Farmer's Market.

The Farmer's Market supports 13 local vendors who live within 30 miles of Cambridge and is open 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

During the month of August, the Farmer's Market is sponsoring a recipe contest open to anyone with a recipe -- from simple to elaborate. A winner will be drawn from a hat on Aug. 30 and will win $50 in Chamber bucks.

Recipes can be given to any vendor at the Market and will be posted on the Cambridge Web site at www. cambridgene.org.

A barbecue cookoff is set for on Sept. 20 including a family fun night including live music, cash prizes and lots of surprises.

Barbecue cooking teams must be signed up by Sept. 10 to be included in the cookoff. "I don't know how it could get any better. Thank you to Jim Jones for lending us the perfect location," Nelson said.

More information is available by contacting Celia Nelson at (308) 697-3148.