By Katherine Jones
For The Salisbury Post
This season’s opening day at the Farmers Market featured 15 vendors,which according to Market Manager Harry Agner is the most vendors to be in the market on opening day.
The many shoppers who turned out were not disappointed in what they found.
There were plenty of cole crops (which include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale), and a variety of lettuces all invitingly presented. Several vendors had fresh eggs from free-range chickens. Vegetable and flower plants were available for transplanting, as well as containers with flowers and kitchen gardens.
There was a large variety of baked goods.
All of the vendors at opening day were enthusiastic about returning this week with some speculation that strawberries may make their first appearance.
Eagle Farm will have a variety of produce and vegetable plants.
Correll Farms will have cole crops, a wide variety of lettuce, collards and spring onions.
Cress Farms will have produce and cole crops, as well has locally grown strawberries.
Ritchie Farms, Bluebird Farm, and Garrett Owen will have vegetable plants and flower plants for transplanting.
How Sweet It Is and The Bread Basket will be on hand with baked goods. How Sweet It Is will have homemade pies, cakes, muffins, cookies and an assortment of pastries. The Bread Basket will have loaf breads of all types, pastries and fresh eggs.
Landis Gourmet Mushrooms will have homegrown, fresh-picked mushrooms.
Wild Turkey Farms will have a variety of meats including beef, pork, sausage as well as eggs and local honey.
T& D Charolais Beef will have local beef products.
Dawn’s Greenhouse will have vegetable and flower plants for transplanting.
Joyce’s Flowers will have bedding plants, container gardens, jellies and honey.
While trying to decide what to add to your market basket, you can enjoy and select items from Virginia Alexander’s wide selection of handmade crafts and Ruth Booker’s aprons and other fabric crafts.
It is great having the Farmers Market open again.
The six months that have passed since we visited with the local growers have left us hungry for their locally grown produce.
This is a good time of year to try a salad made of a variety of locally grown lettuce or experiment with preparing a cole crop like cauliflower or kale.
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Katherine Jones is a Master Gardener Volunteer for the Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. She and Sue Davis will be providing a Farmers Market update each week.
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For more information about the Farmers Market, visit www.salisburyfarmers market.com.
The Farmers Market is locate in downtown Salisbury at the corner of South Main and Bank streets. It is open from 7 a.m. to noon each week on Wednesday and Saturday. (Note new hours this year.)