The good news is that the Black Hills Farmers Market is open earlier in the mornings. The even better news is that it has added Tuesdays and Thursdays to its regular Saturday market days. Tomorrow marks the first day of the season that vendors will set up during weekdays this summer, organizers said.

From now through October, people wanting fresh produce from local gardeners, farmers and ranchers can plan on shopping from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, at the market off Omaha Street in Founders Park next to the concrete fish sculpture and volleyball courts.

Last week found shoppers snapping up rhubarb, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onions and green peppers as well as fresh farm eggs, jams, relishes, preserves and jellies. Pickles were also a favorite.

"Baked goods, hot-house tomatoes, jellies and meat people were setting up. We're running eight to nine vendors now," said Leonard Novak, market manager.

Area vendors are invited to join the market, but they have to make or grow what they sell, he said.

Vendors can join the Black Hills Farmers Market for the membership cost of $25, which includes two free meals, reduced vendors fee, a fall meeting and full voting privileges.

Membership vendors' daily booth fee is $12; for nonmembers, the fee is $15 a day.

"Show up at the market, they can pay their fee and set up that very day," Novak said.

Ev Merritt, a member since 1989, says there is one exception to the make or grow policy for the producers.

"We do welcome people in with peaches or other fruit that is not in competition with our Black Hills producers," she said.

She and Stu Steele of Cottonwood Acres Greenhouse, both in their 80s, have brought their select spinach, rhubarb and lettuce to sell. Merritt has started nearly 500 tomatoes that will ripen later in the year.

"It's been difficult to get them into the ground because it's so wet. We do have one producer who brings tomatoes that she ripens in her greenhouse to market. They tasted as good to me as garden-grown tomatoes," Merritt said.

But if you're looking for fresh corn, you're going to have to be patient.

Mark Olson, who generally brings in pickup loads of fresh corn from his rural farm in Nisland, said the cooler spring weather has delayed his harvest dates.

"Last year was a lot hotter, and we started the 19th of July. This will be like a normal year," Olson said.

Like a normal year, it means going into the fields to harvest the ears of corn in early August. The sugar-enhanced variety of corn is exceptionally good for corn-on-the-cob as well as roasting, freezing and canning, Olson added.

"We generally bring the corn in right in the first week of August," he said.

Olson's cornfield lost little ground to the heavy rainfall and flooding earlier this spring, since he usually plants extra as a practice. As of last week, his fields looked very good. But if that means earlier harvest as the summer heats up, he isn't saying.

"Like I say, it depends on how the rest of the summer goes," he said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.