Foodie: Laura Henderson of Indy Winter Farmers Market

One would think that a gardening expert could enjoy some downtime during winter. But that’s certainly not the case for Laura Henderson. She spends the cold months overseeing the Indy Winter Farmers Market in the West Wing of the Indianapolis City Market. Henderson is both its founder and executive director. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. She’s also founder and director of Growing Places Indy, an educational group that teaches urban agriculture, food culture, and healthy lifestyles; is integrally involved in Slow Food Indy, the local chapter of an international organization advocating small scale, traditional, sustainable food production. And to top it all off, she’s a yoga instructor at Invoke Studio. “I really feel like my personal mission in life is directly tied to the work that I do,” Henderson says. “My job is to empower individuals and communities to grow well, eat well, live well, and be well.” Not that she doesn’t take a few minutes from all that community service to occasionally do something for herself.

LAURA HENDERSON’S FAVORITE THINGS

(1) Port wine and fig truffles from The Best Chocolate in Town.
(2) The black bean burger, house-made chips, and an Indiana beer at Chatham Tap.
(3) A raw greens salad from Black Market or Duos Food Truck. “They both make awesome dressings and select interesting toppings,” Henderson says.
(4) INDIEana Handicraft Exchange.