The Ames Farmers’ Market will open Monday with new hours and some new events to be held throughout the summer.

Katherine Parker, market manager said, “The farmers’ market will stay open later this year to make it more convenient for those who work during the day.” The new hours are 3 to 7 p.m. each Monday during the summer.

The market is located on the corner of Main Street and Burnett Avenue, Parker said. Streets will be blocked off when the market is open to give market-goers more space.

Parker said the market features some unique, locally grown products, as well as craft items. She said all of the food products are grown in Iowa. “We encourage locally grown items,” she said.

Parker said there will be a number of special events throughout the summer. On May 5, the market will feature samples of homemade jam and bread. The Ames Children’s Prep Choir will perform at 4:15 p.m.

“We plan to feature local musicians throughout the summer, as we have done in the past,” Parker said. “There will be a whole variety of music including choirs, recorder music, blues music and others.”

Throughout the summer, there will be free events including a day of basket weaving and popcorn, a beef tasting, a petting zoo, a day to learn how to make soy candles, a salsa competition and a chili cook-off, as well as other events, Parker said.

The salsa competition will be sponsored by the Student Organic Farms, a student organization at Iowa State. “They are very active in the market,” Parker said. “They bring produce to sell all summer.”

Parker said another new feature at the market this year will be drawings for market produce.

She said the goal of the market is to bring attention to locally grown foods. “We are working hard to help people of the Ames community interact with local products here in Story County,” Parker said. “We want to support our local economy.”

Joe Lynch owns Onion Creek Farm, located on the northwest corner of Ames. He said he brings produce to the market every week.

“We grow herbs, cooking greens such as mustard greens, collard greens, and spinach, fresh basil and cilantro, onions and garlic, chives, tomatoes, leeks, summer squash, green beans and more,” he said.

Lynch said he enjoys bringing his produce to the market. “It is a pleasure to meet the people we grow food for,” he said. “We are located in downtown Ames to make it more of a social thing.”

Lynch said he hopes restaurants in downtown Ames will get involved. “I would like to see the restaurants have a presence at the market,” he said.

Lynch said one of the most important aspects of the market is that it gives farmers a way to gain access to customers without selling their crops wholesale.

“This is a big deal to farmers,” he said. “We can get people interested in local crops, and it makes growing vegetables possible. It’s easier to grow them organically this way.”

Lynch said he and his wife hope to offer free samples and recipes to customers, as well as offer them some cooking instruction, such as how to cook with fresh basil.

“It’s important to have a direct connection between the farmer and the customer,” he said.

A similar market will fill the parking lot of North Grand Mall Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, Lynch said.