Upon entering the Legion Hall,  which houses the Huntley Indoor Farmers Market during the chilly months, immediately a sense of fellowship can be detected through the vendors. The sellers promote their products with passion, and it’s easy to notice the care that they put into their goods, as well as their friendship with each other.

Vendor Katie Birkener has only been selling her homemade dog treats at the Farmers Market for a year.

“My husband and I have two dogs, and my husband brews beer. We were wasting grain and throwing it away, and then I thought we could use it for something different,” said Birkener. “We add whole wheat flour, eggs, and peanut butter to the grain and make dog treats.”

When asked about her experience selling at the Farmers Market, Birkener replied, “I really like the comradery; everyone’s friendly. We all work together to build a community.”

Another vendor, Shirley Pondel, has been selling her cookies for five years at the Farmers Market and enjoys how her baking hobby keeps her busy.

“I like how you can meet and talk to people. I’m 87 years old, and it gives me something to do,” said Pondel. “Otherwise what would I do, watch television?”

Paula Aitken became a part of the Huntley Farmers Market last summer, and there she sells her loose leaf tea blends.

“My husband and I create all the recipes and I figure out where to source all the organic ingredients,” said Aitken.

Aitken acknowledges what the Farmers Market has done for both her personal life and her business. “It’s fun to meet new people every week while expanding brand awareness.”

“The experience so far has been fantastic. The Farmers Market is really well run, and overall it has been a very pleasant experience,” said Dave Zoellick, a vendor who sells vegetables and herbs.

The Indoor Farmers Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Saturday of each month.

Despite the small, somewhat cramped space that they have to work with, these vendors wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.