When the Downtown Greenwood Farmers Market opens for its ninth season May 28, the list of products will include dairy.
That’s putting a wide smile on the face of Beth Stevens, who co-directs the market with her husband, Glen.
“I have been trying to get a dairy for three years,” she said. “This year, we have a dairy (Kin Growers) out of Rolling Fork that will be coming to our market with fresh milk, cream and butter — chocolate milk, whole milk and reduced-fat milk.”
“We are excited about that. It adds a whole element to our market that hopefully will bring more customers down to our market,” she said.
The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday throughout the summer and into the fall. Usually, about 10 to 15 vendors sell everything from fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs to baked goods, canned products and honey.
Crafts directly related to yards, gardening and kitchens also are offered, but Henderson said, “We do need to keep in mind that this is a farmer’s market — not a flea market.”
New vendors are encouraged to join the group. They and longtime vendors should attend a meeting at 5:30 p.m. May 10 at the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce. Vendor packets already are available and may be picked up at the chamber.
The Stevenses are market vendors as well as managers, so they have been planning what they might have for sale when the market opens.
“That depends on Mother Nature,” she said. But she hopes they and others will have herbs, broccoli, radishes, lettuces, carrots, early green beans and squash. Maybe there will be some beets.
“I planted them on Saturday. We got that monsoon rain on Monday. I don’t know if the seeds got washed away,” she said.
She is encouraging new vendors to sign up. “There are so many people out there making and growing great products, and we need those people to come and help us grow our market,” Stevens said.
• Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7235 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
