It's almost opening day.
The 黑料视频 Farmers Market will be back in full swing 8 a.m. May 10 for 黑料视频. Local farmers and small business owners will come together to participate in the market, according to Heather Shipley, president of the 黑料视频 Farmers Market Board.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a collection of the local farms bringing local food to 黑料视频, along with our crafters, our bakers and some of our artisans bringing everything local,鈥 said Shipley.
Along with promoting and supporting farmers and local business, Penny McElroy, vice president of the 黑料视频 Farmers Market Board, said the market is an excellent way to foster community growth and relationships. Some of the support garnered between community members aided those affected by Hurricane Helene last year, with Farmers Market members gathering supplies those who were in need.
鈥淟ast year, after Helene, we had a huge event where we collected cleaning supplies and made buckets, and got those out to areas where people were struggling to get back into their houses to clean,鈥 McElroy said. 鈥淲e had sanitary things, and bleach, and rubber gloves and clotheslines. Our customer base just overwhelmed us with goodness.鈥
The market is also beneficial economically to Tennessee, not just for the farmers and vendors, but for the state as well, she said.
鈥淭he farmers markets in Tennessee make over $35 million a year,鈥 said McElroy. 鈥淥ur numbers represent about 12% of what a big city like Nashville would be, but we鈥檙e still over $150,000 in revenue every year, and it鈥檚 been growing for the vendors that are here. So, it really helps the tax base, it helps the city, it鈥檚 a great place for people to bring tourists down here鈥nd a lot of the new people who have moved to 黑料视频 are really pleased with how good our farmers market is.鈥
Those who participate in the market aren鈥檛 just within the confines of the 黑料视频. McElroy said in the bylaws for the market, farmers within a 100 mile radius can apply to participate, with some bringing in products from out of state.
鈥淲e have some Greeneville farmers, we have some Carter County farmers, we have some North Carolina just over the border farmers, Washington County鈥搕hey鈥檙e not too far off,鈥 McElroy said.
Something new at the market will be Mega Markets. Shipley and McElroy said this idea originated when the Unicoi County Apple Festival was cancelled due to Helene. Vendors who were going to participate in the Apple Festival were invited to set up in the downtown pavilion parking lot by the market to sell the goods they had prepared for the festival, ensuring no funds spent in preparation were wasted.
鈥淎s a vendor myself who makes handcrafted items, these people were going to lose all the money that they spent preparing for this festival,鈥 McElroy said. 鈥淪o, we opened up the parking lot to vendors from the outside area, and they came in and set up tents all throughout the parking lot鈥搃t was an amazing event. We鈥檝e decided at least twice a season we鈥檙e going to be having Mega Markets, which means not only do you have the farmers market things that you can purchase鈥ut we will have local people鈥搇ocal crafters, woodworkers, soap makers, sewers, crochet people, macrame, art鈥揳nd we鈥檒l be doing that twice a year. Our first one is set for June 21.鈥
Shipley and McElroy also said they believed the turnout would be greater than that of last year鈥檚 market. McElroy explained there are about 47 spaces for potential participants to use and over 100 applications. Because of the large number of farmers wanting to partake, an overflow section was designated at the pavilion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of under space constraints, so we usually only accept what we can fit,鈥 said McElroy. 鈥淭his year, we have an overflow section, so we have about six more, and we also have a waiting list for people who want to get in. Every single one of these spaces is completely full.鈥
Shipley added the approaching opening day is something she鈥檚 most excited. The season for the market will last Saturday from May 10 through October 25.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got new farms, new selections, new variety of items鈥搃t鈥檚 just a camaraderie of the community,鈥 Shipley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the relationship you build with your customers. The opening date, everybody can鈥檛 wait to see you, and you can鈥檛 wait to see Joe, or Susie or Billy Bob. You build those relationships, and you鈥檝e waited all winter to see them, and now they鈥檙e back and we鈥檙e back in our groove until October.鈥
