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Over 300 people visited the opening day
of the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market to
find a welcoming array of vendors, and
the weather was matched by the briskness
of the sales.
“I was really thrilled,”
organizer Terri Wilkinson said. “For as
cold as it was, for as many people to
come was truly amazing. We were all
feeling really good when we left.”
Wilkinson said she had been
very concerned about the people from the
SleepyGoat Farm, who had to come all the
way from Pelham in Caswell County. But,
she said, Jon Dorman sold out of a lot
of his handmade cheeses. They offer a
variety of aged and chèvre cheese and
flavored cheese.
There were a number of
children searching out the Easter
baskets, there were bunnies to pet, and
people could enjoy the music played by
Paul Davis on a hammered dulcimer and
the perfectly gorgeous tulips, other
flowers and plants.
There was a somewhat random
survey in which selected people were
asked to respond to three questions by
placing a sticker appropriately. Most of
the people at the market, 44 percent,
had learmed of it from word of mouth,
29% from The Wake Weekly and 11 percent
from The Wake Forest Gazette. About the
same number, 41 percent, said they
planned to shop at the market weekly,
though 29 percent said it was their
first time. The majority of respondents,
65 percent, live in Wake Forest with
Youngsville, 14 percent, a distant
second.
The market will be open this
coming Saturday, April 14, from 8 a.m.
to noon in the gazebo parking lot. It
will be closed the following Saturday
for HerbFest, which takes up all of the
parking lot.
One reason to be at the
market Saturday is a chance to be on TV.
Bill Crabtree, the communications
specialist for the Town of Wake Forest,
Tina Archer, the downtown manager, and
Wilkinson will be filming a feature
about the market for “Focus on Wake
Forest,” the town’s public affairs
program that airs on Channel 10.
The 18 vendors at last
Saturday’s market are expected to return
on the 14th.
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Mapleville Fruit and Berry Farm:
jellies, jams and stained-glass art.
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Cedar Rock Farms: shitakes,
vegetables, eggs, chickens and
pheasants.
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Blessed Be Soaps: aromatherapy
soaps, candles, lotions and more.
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Polecat Mountain Farm:
pasture-raised poultry, eggs and
pork, also vegetables.
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The Flour Garden: breads, pies,
pastries from organic locally milled
flours and grains.
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Whetstone Homegrown Farm: specialty
plants and trees, vegetables and
fruit.
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Homestead Farms: fresh cut flowers.
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Greenhill Farm: spring vegetables,
baked goods and farm crafts.
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Chef Thom: specialty sauces and The
Perfect Butt.
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Flying Pig Farm: fresh cut flowers,
several varieties of garlic, garlic
butters and spreads.
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Betty’s Bloomers: heirloom
vegetables, plants and flowers.
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Triple B Farm: pasture-raised pork,
beef, poultry and eggs.
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Redman Pottery: beautiful locally
made pottery.
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Robin’s Nest: home, garden and lawn
sculptures.
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Sleepy Goat Farm, artisan goat
cheese (chèvre
and hard cheeses).
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Rocky Ridge Farm: vegetables,
berries, grapes and more.
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Wild Onion Farm: vegetables, eggs
and more.
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John Buettner: specialty plants,
tropical plants, flowers and
vegetables.
There is an equally
impressive list of vendors who will join
the market later in the year.
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Blueberry Hill: fresh blueberries
and vegetables
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Capritopia Farm: vegetables
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Lovejoy Pottery: beautiful handmade
pottery.
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Melvin’s Gardens: herbs and plants
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Jeffrey’s Strawberry Patch
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McCallisters: gourd art, herbs,
garden-related gifts and artwork.
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Meadowbright Farm: vegetables, eggs,
flowers and more, catnip cat toys
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Powell Roper and Victoria Pender:
heirloom tomatoes and many more
vegetables.
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William Lord: honey.
The local Master Gardener
Volunteers will be at the market also to
answer questions.
The grand opening of the
market will be May 12 – the April dates
are just a foretaste of the bounty of
the gardens and farms. Some of the other
special events during the spring and
summer are a customer appreciation and
children’s day on June 2, a picnic at
the market June 30 when visitors can
enjoy tasty dishes made with fresh local
ingredients, a summer harvest
celebration on July 28, a dueling chef
competition featuring garlic on Aug. 18,
and the Second Annual Four-Alarm Chili
Cook-off on Sept. 29 when the proceeds
will benefit the Wake Forest Fire
Department. |
