Farmers’ Market off to an excellent start
By Meghan Cooke
Staff writer
Commons Photos by Meghan Cooke
The Carrboro Farmers’ Market kicked off its 29th season Saturday, March 24, at the Carrboro Town Commons on West Main Street as local farmers and crafts people sold everything from fresh tomatoes to handmade cedar furniture.
Market Manager Sheila Neal said that Saturday’s market was the busiest she has ever seen it on an opening day. She said that on average the market receives about 2,000 visitors per Saturday. The market’s peak season in July will bring about 60 vendors to the Carrboro Farmers’ Market.
Such large numbers do not detract from the friendly community atmosphere. Melanie Raskin, a market volunteer from Carrboro, said she felt as if she could pick right up on conversations with market-goers she had last seen in December, when the last market season ended.
It is this sense of community that brings many people back to the market each year.
Joan Holeman, who sells tomatoes, lettuce, flowers and herbs from Flat River Nursery and Farm in Timberlake, N.C., said that she sees many repeat customers since she became a regular vendor 15 years ago.
“But I also see a lot of new people every year,” Holeman said.
Eddie Smith, who began his third year at the market Saturday, sold his homemade pottery. He said that there are people he sees every Saturday, who he calls the “constitutionals.” He contributes the market’s success to the quality of the goods available.
“If you compare it to what you can get at the store, the eggs taste better, the chicken tastes better; everything tastes better,” Smith said.
So what’s new this year about the market?
“T-shirts!” said Raskin as she displayed the pale green shirts with the Carrboro Farmers’ Market logo.
Raskin also said that she saw some produce at Saturday’s opening she had not seen in previous years this early in the season, including strawberries.
Neal said that there are plans to begin using a wireless system that would allow customers to swipe their debit or credit cards to pay for market goods just like they would in a typical grocery store. There are also plans to participate in Electronic Benefit Transfer, a system allowing people eligible for food stamp or cash benefits to buy products from the market.
“It’s a great way to make food more available to all of our community,” Neal said.
Creating a sense of community is one of the major goals of the Carrboro Farmers’ Market. All of the vendors at the market live and produce their goods within 50 miles of Carrboro, Neal said.
“It’s a passion for most of the people here,” Smith said referring to all of the local crafts people and farmers who bring their products to market each week.
It must be that same passion that keeps Ruth Sanford in her kitchen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in preparation for the Carrboro Farmers’ Market.
Sanford, who has been living in Carrboro for about 40 years, brings homemade pies to sell at the market. Her flavors include pecan, cherry, coconut, apple, sweet potato and even sweet potato pecan pies.
The pies completely cover a small table and plenty more lie stacked in the truck of her car, but they disappear quickly.
“People are so friendly and they get fresh, good stuff,” Sanford said.
Lori Febbo, a Chapel Hill resident, comes to the market on a regular basis to buy vegetables for her 4-year-old son’s garden, but said she usually leaves with quite a few extra items.
“We have a lot of favorite things here,” she said and laughed as she balanced her infant, flowers and preserves.
“It’s a nice way for the community to come together,” she said.
The Carrboro Farmers’ Market will be held every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon until Dec. 22. Starting on April 11 and running until Oct. 17, the market will also be open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. And beginning on May 3, the Southern Village Farmer’s Market will open on Market Street in Chapel Hill from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday until Aug. 30.
