FARMINGTON – Vendors bearing crisp fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, farm-raised meat and poultry, baked goods and homemade crafts will be back peddling their wares this Friday as the Sandy River Farmers’ Market opens for the season.

According to Julia Staples, market master, opening day for the outdoor farmers’ market in the parking lot of the Better Living Center in Farmington is this Friday, May 2. The market, she said, will continue to run every Friday through September from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and feature the locally-grown and produced products of a record-high number of vendors.

Already, 10 vendors have signed on and a handful of others have begun the process of registering. New to the market this year will be fresh meat and poultry, and Staples said she is hoping to have craft demonstrations, like spinning, and live music at the market.

On Monday night, local vendors and representatives from the Farmington Area Local Food coalition, a grassroots group to encourage local food growth and sales, met at the Farmington Town Office to discuss getting a secondary farmers’ market up and running by late June.

The group agreed, said Cyndy Stancioff of the coalition, to initiate the secondary market, which, pending Farmington selectmen’s approval, would run during the growing season from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays in the parking lot of the Better Living Center.

The hope, said Stancioff, is that the secondary market would offer an additional time for local people to shop at the market as the new hours may be more convenient for both shoppers and vendors with daytime employment.

“Our goal with the additional market would be to make sure local food will be more available to local people,” said Stancioff. “This market will be convenient to a different group of people and will hopefully help in the revitalization of agriculture in Franklin County.”

In addition to the benefits for shoppers, Staples says the new market will break up the week for growers. She noted that the shelf value of some produce is less than a week.

“I am hoping it will be successful,” she said. “This will allow shoppers to lean on us a little harder. Local food is getting attention right now, and farmers’ markets are gaining in popularity. I think people will be really impressed with the wide variety and selection this season.”

The target-opening day for the secondary market is Tuesday, June 26. First though, local selectmen would have to approve the plan. Although he would not speculate on the will of selectmen, Town Manager Richard Davis said Tuesday that the town is supportive of local markets. Unless there are any major concerns, he said he expected the plan to be approved, adding that the town has a strong relationship with the Sandy River Farmers’ Market.

For more information about local food or the farmers’ markets, contact Cyndy Stancioff at 778-3513, Julia Staples at 778-3115 or e-mail buylocalfood@aol.com.


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