TRIBUNE/Karen Martin
Sharon Tally, second from left, brought her daughter, Katy, left, and Jarrel, second from right to sell her homemade sourdough breads, sweet rolls, brownies, and other goodies at the Jonesville Farmer’s market on Thursday afternoon in the Starmont Crossing parking lot. Aileen Steelman, right, offered fresh picked lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, strawberries and will bring other vegetables as they come in to the market.
The market is held in the parking lot of the Elkin town hall.
The farmer’s market, sponsored by the N. C. Extension Agency, began Saturday, May 1 and will continue every Saturday through Sept. 25. The hours for the market have changed this year. The market will open at 9 a.m. and run until 12 p.m.
Mt. Airy’s farmer’s market is held from 3:30 - 6 p.m. on Tuesday’s in the parking lot of the Andy Griffith Playhouse, 218 Rockford Street, Mt. Airy. The Tuesday afternoon markets run through Oct. 26.
Beginning July 1, the Mt. Airy farmer’s market will also run on Thursday’s, 3:30 - 6 p.m. at the same location, through Oct. 28.
A few of the rules of the Elkin/Mt. Airy 2010 farmer’s market include: sellers must reside and produce the items they sell within Surry or the adjacent counties of Stokes, Yadkin, Wilkes, and Alleghany in North Carolina and Patrick and Carroll counties in Virginia. Verification must be by the cooperative extension agent of the county in which the seller resides. Sellers must be the original producers of all items being sold. No buying or reselling of produce or other products is allowed. (Sellers may also be the family members, employees, or others directly involved in the production of the crop.)
The seller must complete a WIC training course and a GAP training course. Farm inspection must be conducted by your local extension agent prior to selling at markets.
Sellers must pay a non-refundable annual registration fee of $40.00, due with the application. One $40.00 fee covers selling in either/or or both Elkin and Mt. Airy markets. A selling space is a normal size parking space.
Products which can be sold include: Any vegetable grown by the seller from seeds, sets, or seedlings,; any fruits, nuts, or berries grown by the seller from trees, bushes, or vines on the seller’s farm; any plant grown by the seller from seeds, seedlings, transplants, or cuttings; bulbs propagated by the seller; eggs produced by the seller’s poultry; honey and other by products produced by the seller’s bees.
Preserves, pickles, relishes, jams, jellies, made by the seller. No “low acid” canned foods such as green beans, corn, peas, carrots, or canned tomato products may be sold by order of the health department.
Cut or dried flowers grown by the seller are allowed, as well as bagged, certified composts, and straw.
Baked goods are also allowed. Prices must be posted for all items sold and all produce that is sold has to be grown on seller’s farm, no exceptions.
Items not allowed at the farmer’s market include no fresh or preserved meat or fish, no animals may be sold or given away.
Crafts made from farm produced items can be sold by a vendor, but these vendors will not comprise more than 30 percent of all market vendors and crafts will make up no more than 30 percent of the booth. Farm items must be produced and harvested on vendor’s own land.
The market is run by the board of directors who are active producing members of the market.
For more information or to make application for the Elkin and/or Mt. Airy farmer’s market,, contact Terry Garwood at the N. C. Cooperative Extension office in Dobson, 336-401-8025.
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