FRESHLY PICKED

As Kate Cole enters her second year as the manager for Lake Bluff’s beloved Farmers Market, she reminds us that healthy communities start with happy families.

KATE COLE IS A FARM GIRL AT HEART. So, when she applied to be manager of the Lake Bluff Farmers Market two years ago, no one was surprised.

“I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin,” says Cole, the married mother of two. “Whenever I can bring some of my childhood into our village, I do. The Farmers Market has been a great way for me to reconnect with some of that, and I’m hoping to help those who come to the market experience that, too.”

For those unfamiliar, Lake Bluff Farmers Market is a seasonal outdoor market that brings people into Lake Bluff’s Central Business District and provides easy access to high-quality fresh produce plus appetizers, baked goods, cheeses, flowers, sauces, soups, and more. It gives shoppers the satisfaction of knowing they’re supporting small farms and small businesses. The Farmers Market was started in 1993 as part of a plan to revive downtown Lake Bluff, which is now a vibrant shopping area full of cafes, restaurants, pubs, stores, and more. The market is open on Fridays from 7 a.m. until noon until October 10.

“The village and our volunteers actually run the market,” Cole says modestly. “My job is to be on site every Friday to make sure all of the vendors are safe and have what they need to be successful.”

For this year’s market, Cole hopes to unveil children’s programming to create a more meaningful relationship between the vendors and those who visit them on Friday mornings.

“I love that I get to welcome everyone to the market,” she says. “For someone who loves her community, being the market manager is the perfect job for me. It doesn’t feel like work at all. It feels like family.”

Cole’s position with the Farmers Market is just the latest of the community roles she’s embraced since moving to Lake Bluff four years ago.

“I came to Lake Bluff with a lot of experience helping children and families,” Cole says, owning a consulting business called Parent Like a Pro where she shares her insights on raising young children. “That’s my passion. Everything I do now has a piece of that built into it.”

That includes Lake Bluff’s newly founded softball league for girls.

“Baseball is such a part of living in Lake Bluff,” Cole says. “I was surprised when I got here and there wasn’t a team specifically for girls. A year after my daughter started playing T-ball, I joined the Lake Bluff Youth Baseball Association and organized a softball league for girls in first through fourth grades. We now have two leagues with more than 90 players who participate. It’s all in-house, which means we only play other Lake Bluff teams. We focus on teaching the skills needed to play softball. This is my full-time volunteer job and I’ve been rewarded non-stop for it. Today, families in our community can watch their girls compete on the diamond at Artesian Park and have a picnic afterwards. This is the perfect way to spend a summer night.”

As if being a market manager and softball commissioner wasn’t enough, Cole is also the Director of Community Life for the Community Church of Lake Forest & Lake Bluff, where she leads community outreach.

“Immediately after the pandemic, our pastor, [Rev. Dr.] Tom Dickelman, asked if I would be interested in helping out with the children during our services on Sunday. Today, with Rev. Sean Miller, we’re delivering programming for small children and families that encourages coming together through meaningful play,” she says. “I can’t help myself. If I see something I can do, or a process I can make better, I have to do it—especially if it can add to our community. I am all about that.”

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New to the Farmers Market this Summer:

Awesome Mini Donuts
Donuts and fresh lemonade

Parra Farms
Vegetables, fruits, jams, salsas, and flowers

Forest Greens Juice Bar
Juice, wellness shots, and smoothies

Greco Greens
Microgreens, salad dressings, and nutrient toppers

4th Dimension Flavors
Soups and chili

Posy Flower Farm
Fresh-cut flowers