“We’re a non-profit, on a mission to connect farmers and talented crafters and chefs with the community. We have room for 20 vendors inside our building. The booths have power outlets, lights and fans, and we have a huge yard that can accommodate 80 more. It’s $10 a day to rent a booth, we keep it intentionally affordable, and it’s a great way to start a business. My mother-in-law started selling her brand of cow patty cookies here, and now she’s in 38 Fresh Food locations. We even have a commercial grade kitchen that we rent to up-and-coming chefs for $30 an hour, as long as they have the required permits.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice when you visit is that everyone is welcoming, and there’s a strong sense of community. We’re one big happy family, all ages, races and religions, and the vendors and customers alike are very supportive of each other. You can snack on a homemade sourdough cinnamon roll while you talk with a farmer about how they grow their food and drink some fresh juice while you chat with a chef about how they flavor their jams.

I’m always trying to find new ways to use the market to better serve the community. We have a seniors’ program through the department of aging where anyone 62 or older can apply for $5 vouchers for produce, eggs and honey. We have a children’s learning center with raised beds where we grow all kinds of vegetables and have educational signage. And I have bingo and dances planned for Saturday nights; family friendly, to give the kids and everyone something fun to do. But the main focus will always be connecting vendors with community.

We’re open February through December, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. We have special events one Saturday per month, including old-fashioned farm day in June, watermelon day in July, back to school day in August, honey day in September, and chicken bog and barbeque day in October. You can find details on our Facebook page. Please come see us, you’ll be most welcome!”