It’s that time of year again–local farmer’s markets kick off Saturday.
Those seeking out locally grown produce, homebaked goods and handmade items will have two local options to shop with the Orange Farmer’s Market and the Gordonsville Farm Patch Market. Both open Saturday, May 2 and run weekly, rain or shine, through October.
The Orange Farmer’s Market will take over Short Street near the train depot beginning at 8:30 a.m. and lasting until 12:30 p.m. Lauren Trump said the market is open every Saturday with the exception of Sept. 5 and 26, both of which mark other local events. She said this year’s market has a variety of vendors with all having locally grown or made products.
“There will regularly be produce, meat, eggs, breads and treats, canned goods, honey and fresh coffee,” Trump said.
She said the exact offerings will vary from week to week. The market attempts to avoid resale vendor products, but will accept new vendors throughout the season. An emphasis is also being placed on having special events at the market. Currently, every third Saturday will be kids’ day with the Rapid Ann Garden Club providing a free children’s activity for those in attendance.
In Gordonsville, the market is undergoing a rebranding. The new name, Gordonsville Farm Patch Market, plays off the location at Patch Brewing Company, but the market isn’t operated by Patch. Jess Adkins and her mom, Kat, are the market operators.
In addition to a new name, the market also has a new time, 12-4 p.m.
“We realized Gordonsville does not wake up early,” Adkins said. “The [new] time frame directly correlates with the opening hours of Patch. Our goal in doing this is to try to cater to those who naturally come to Patch for lunch or early afternoon drinks.”
Adkins said the opening weekend vendors range from those offering locally sourced meat, eggs and honey to those with baked goods, canned goods and crafts. Similar to the Orange Market, Gordonsville is also continuing to accept vendors. The only type of vendors not accepted are multi-level marketing, such as Scentsy or Paparazzi as Adkins said those take away from small, handcrafted businesses.
The excitement around Gordonsville’s market is growing.
“We really just want people to know we are trying to grow this market to be successful in a way that benefits both the vendors and community,” Adkins said. “Gordonsville has such a homey, small town feel and we believe nothing says comfort of a small town like a local farmer’s market. Even if people cannot be a vendor, we strongly encourage everyone to come out to shop locally and build community.”
For more information on the Orange Farmer’s Market, visit https://www.facebook.com/farmersmarketorange. For more information on the Gordonsville Farm Patch Market, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587371286209.
Those visiting the markets are encouraged to have cash on hand. While some vendors accept credit cards, some may only accept cash.
