The Albert Lea Farmers Market is slated to open for the season Wednesday in the North Broadway parking lot.

On Wednesdays, it will be open from 4 to 6 p.m. in the North Broadway lot and on Saturdays it will be open from 9 a.m. to noon in the Northbridge Mall parking lot.

At the market this week, people can expect rhubarb and asparagus along with baked goods, eggs, jams and jellies, salsa, pickles, bedding plants and other craft items, said vendor Verlys Huntley.

“I would encourage everyone to come out and buy local,” Huntley said. “It helps the local economy.”

She said local produce tastes better and is fresher than the produce being shipped in to stores from about 1,500 miles away.

Huntley said new this year at the market there will be a sampling program funded by the Statewide Health Improvement Program. The program gives people the chance to try products — both raw and prepared — from the market.

As in years past, the market will offer a scanning machine equipped to handle credit and debit cards, along with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.

For people who use at least $5 on their SNAP or EBT card, they will be given an additional $5 in free market product.

Women, Infants and Children vouchers are also accepted at the market.

The farmers market will be open outdoors through Oct. 31. From November through Christmas, the farmers market moves indoors to Northbridge Mall.

Huntley said the organization is always looking for new vendors.

People can find out more information about the market each week through the market’s Facebook page. The website is at www.albertleafarmersmarket.com.

When is produce at the market?

• Late May and early June: green onions, lettuce, spinach, radishes, asparagus and rhubarb

• June: herbs, broccoli onions, peas, kohlrabi and strawberries

• July: green beans, yellow beans, beets and broccoli

• Late July: sweet corn, cucumbers, cauliflower, eggplant, peas, sweet onions and potatoes, raspberries, zucchini, summer squash, melons and early tomatoes

• August: early apples, green beans, beets, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, herbs, melons, onions, green peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, squash, zucchini and tomatoes

• September: apples, beets, cabbage, sweet corn, gourds, Indian corn, winter squash, melons, watermelons, musk melons, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, fall raspberries and tomatoes