Farmers Market update

Emma Martin at the Farmers Market. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

By Katherine Jones

For The Salisbury Post

Meet Emma Martin

Emma Martin is one of the most popular vendors at the Salisbury Farmers Market. Her baked goods have become legendary and are much in demand. Unless you arrive at the market early you will miss out on the chocolate zucchini bread or the peach and apple fried pies prepared the morning of the market. Her sour dough bread is also a big hit with the market patrons.

I asked Emma how she became interested in baking. She told me that due to health problems in 1989 she began researching healthy eating. At that time she began making bread from wheat that she would grind herself. She is still grinding her own wheat.

Her product line has expanded to include homemade granola, assorted pies, sweet breads, cookies and many more interesting and delicious selections. Emma will take special orders and she provides several local restaurants and coffee shops with items such as dinner rolls and sweet breads.

Emma and her husband, Aaron, are the parents of six children ages 8 to 25. All the children are home schooled. The family moved to Rowan County from Lancaster, Pa. seven years ago. She has been a vendor at the Farmers Market since the fall of 2008.

This week

What is at the market this week? Corn and tomatoes galore! Last Saturday Erica Miller had a large trailer loaded with corn that was pulled that morning. How about that for fresh?

Country Garden has a bumper crop of large, juicy, sweet blueberries. Hill Farms will have blackberries for about another week. Cucumbers, squash and peppers are also plentiful. The market is not only about fresh produce. There is also locally raised meat available as well as baked goods, plants, fresh cut flowers and handmade crafts.

Debit and credit cards are now accepted. See market manager Harry Agner to obtain market tokens that you can use with any vendor. Also accepted are food stamps and WIC and senior citizen vouchers.

The Farmers Market is located in downtown Salisbury at the corner of South Main and Bank Streets. It is open on Wednesday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m.and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon.

Katherine Jones is a Master Gardner volunteer for the Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County.