Watauga County Farmers’ Market Opens May 2

Story by Anna Oakes

The Watauga County Farmers’ Market will open for its 35th season on Saturday, May 2, at the Horn in the West grounds in Boone. The market features fresh produce, locally produced meats and baked goods, plants, flowers and crafts.

The market will be open every Saturday morning from May 2 to October 31. The market officially opens at 8:00 a.m., but some vendors and customers arrive as early as 6:00 a.m.

The Wednesday market, which begins in mid-June, will move from the morning to late afternoon this year to attract more mid-week customers who can shop at the market after work. The Wednesday afternoon market will run from June 17 through the month of September, tentatively scheduled from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. All markets take place rain or shine.

Joe Martin, president of the farmers’ market board of directors, said the market has grown to 110 members this year, with only 78 vendor spaces available at Horn in the West. Fortunately, he told the Boone Town Council last week, not every member uses a space every single week.

Items available at the May 2 opening day market will include produce, such as asparagus and fresh salad greens; meats, including beef, pork, chickens and free range eggs; prepared foods, including baked goods, fresh goat cheese, granola, peanut butter, almond butter, jams and jellies; and items for your home gardens, including raspberry plants, dahlia bulbs, heirloom tomato plants, vegetable and herb plants and bedding plants. Plenty of juried arts and crafts vendors will be on site to sell their works as well.

Market Manager Karen Bauman said several new vendors include additional crafters and baked goods producers, and several returning vendors are offering different foods that haven’t been offered in the past.

Several of the Watauga Farmers’ Market vendors are Certified Organic farmers, and many more are not certified but do employ organic practices, Bauman said.

As the farmers’ market has grown in popularity, parking at Horn in the West has increasingly become an issue, especially when school is in session at Appalachian State University. That’s because the Southern Appalachian Historical Association, the organization that manages the Horn in the West property, leases the Horn in the West parking lot to ASU for student parking.

Starting this year, ASU has agreed to require students to remove their vehicles from the Horn in the West parking lot by midnight on Fridays and not return them before 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays during the farmers’ market season, Martin said. That’s important, because losing even one Saturday can significantly affect farmers who depend on the market for revenue, he said.

“We have a lot more people selling who are real farmers, and they’re there to make a living,” Martin said.

Vendors currently accept cash or checks, but not credit or debit cards. Those who receive WIC program benefits may apply for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program for coupons to use at farmers’ markets. Watauga County is a participating county in the program. For more info, call 828-264-6641.

The farmers’ market is continuing to work toward the installation of EBT machines to accept WIC cards, Bauman said. In the future, the machines could also accommodate credit and debit cards.

To get to Horn in the West, turn next to First Citizens Bank on the Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. For more information, call Bauman at 828-355-4918 or click to www.WataugaCountyFarmersMarket.org.

Farmers’ Market Tips

Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your farmers’ market shopping experience.

•Bring small bills. It’s easier for sellers to make change.
•Ask questions. Learn about unfamiliar varieties and even how to prepare them.
•Go early for the best selection.
•Go late for the best deals.
•Use large, reusable bags or baskets. Eliminate the need for plastic or paper bags.
•Reuse egg cartons, flower pots, berry baskets and bags.
•Shop cooperatively with friends or family. Buying in bulk could save you money.
•Do not bring pets except service animals.
•Bring a picnic. Supplement your meal with desserts, fruits, veggies, cheeses, bread and coffee from the market.

Spaces Still Available at Community Garden

The Leola Street Community Garden in Boone still has a few undeveloped garden plots available for those who want to plant this year. For more information, contact Matt Cooper at 828-773-5893.

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