By Deirdre Parker Smith

deirdre.smith@salisburypost.com

The Salisbury-Rowan Farmer’s Market opens Saturday at 8 a.m., with some familiar faces offering vegetables, fruit, flowers, meat and baked goods.

The market is planning more activities this year, with cooking demonstrations, things for children to do and occasional music.

Carolyn Peterson is the new marketing director in charge of advertising the market, its offerings and activities.

Also new this year is a plan to bring a nonprofit group once a month to do fundraisers. Peterson explained it’s a chance of do things like special deals — buy this item and make a donation to Rowan Helping Ministries, or the Battered Woman’s Shelter.

Vendors will also participate in Share the Harvest, which collects unsold items and donates them to places like day care centers that might not have access to fresh foods.

The non-profits can also come to share information about what they do and who they serve.

One Saturday a month will have music, one Saturday a cooking demonstration, one Saturday children’s activities, sometimes a combination of all three.

“We’re trying to make it more of a festival feel,” said Peterson.

Children will have a chance to plant a few seeds at one point, too.

Toi Degree, family and consumer education agent with the Rowan County Cooperative Extension, will do the first cooking demonstration, using ingredients available at the market.

Danélle Cutting, agriculture, horticulture and local foods agent, said the market should have strawberries this weekend, along with cool season vegetables, lettuces, onions and such.

Mike Miller is the chairman of the Farmer’s Market board, and says he expects some of the same vendors from last season, including Red Barn Market, David Correll; Fading D Farms, Spring Lake Farms, Pruitt Farms, Thomas Family Farms, Twin Oaks, How Sweet it Is, Better Loafing, Miller Farm (of course, and he expects to have strawberries), Ly’s Flowers, The Soap Shack and Treehouse Soaps, McCombs, with their pimiento cheese; Upside Down Farm (mushrooms), Two Pigs Farm, and Hutchen’s Homestead, with the possibility of more vendors later in the season.

The market will be open 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays, starting April 19, from 8 a.m.-noon. It is at the corner of Fisher and Jackson streets in downtown Salisbury, across from Rowan Public Library.

“We should have a good opening day,” Miller says. It looks like the weather will be nice and selection will be good.

Vegan cooking class

Learn how to prepare vegan chocolate desserts at a free class with free samples and free recipes. You will make chocolate cake, chocolate “milk” shakes and chocolate ice “cream” in the class.

The class will be taught at the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA on Monday, April 17, from  6 to 7 p.m. Sign up at the front desk or call  704-401-8158 to reserve your seat. Space is limited.

Tractor Supply market

Tractor Supply is looking for farmers, crafters and artisans to sell their goods at its spring Farmers Market April 29.

Everything from homemade crafts and candles to baked goods, carvings, flowers and produce is wanted. To register, visit TSCEventPartners.com or Tractor Supply. Nonprofit organizations are also encouraged to register.

During the Farmers Market, vendors will be able showcase their goods free of charge in areas near the storefront.