Farmers market cultivates more than just fresh produce

Farmers and vendors of Milledgeville cultivate more than produce when they sell their wares at the Milledgeville Farmers Market. They cultivate healthy eating habits, friendships, smiles and a powerful sense of community. Sellers also provide an alternative to typical grocery stores with healthier produce and budget-friendly buying.

Members of the Milledgeville community, students and residents alike flock to the market, which is held every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. on West Hancock Street between the Golden Pantry and Duckworth Farm Supply barn. Many students find it easy to walk to the market, which is a mere two blocks from Front Campus.

The Milledgeville MainStreet/Downtown Development Authority opened the market in May as an effort to continue to grow business in the downtown area. The market delves deep into the American tradition of small-town markets, allowing buyers to taste unprocessed food from soil tilled only a few miles from their own homes.

“I think that shopping at the farmers market is a wonderful idea,” nurse practitioner Lara Crowe said. “You get local, fresher vegetables than what you get at the grocery stores, with no pesticides and they tend to be more organic.”

Crowe mentioned that research indicates that buying organic neither helps nor hurts the consumer, and suggested that people should eat farmers market produce more because it helps the local community and the environment.

“I think organic is really a ‘black-hole’ word. It’s dubbed a lot of things that may or may not be true,” Crowe said. “I think that definition is blurrier at the grocery store than it is at the farmers market.”

Sellers at the market also value being environmentally friendly. Warren Moore, a salesman from Quality Produce, plans to give away free cloth bags instead of plastic sacks in the coming weeks.

“The quality of produce is just better,” Moore said about the market. “We hope to grow and keep really busy.”

Moore offers baskets of tomatoes for $4, large cucumbers three for $2, cantaloupes for $1.50 and bushels of other produce.

“It’s really a good value,” sophomore Elaine Denovellis said. “It gives (students) an opportunity to go cheap, so they don’t have an excuse to eat unhealthy.”

Though college students often reach for sugary snacks, Crowe sees many of her students opting to eat healthy. Milledgeville’s market provides a simple way to do that on a college student’s budget.

The produce offered at the market acts as an open invitation for students to meet community members, buy healthy snacks and taste the true Milledgeville, sweet and fresh off the vine.

The Milledgeville market also offers more than just produce. Vendors sell farm fresh eggs, candied apples, funnel cakes, boiled peanuts, flowers and an assortment of homemade soaps.

“Our soaps are better than soaps sold at the store,” said Ginny Hansel, who sells soaps at the market with her husband Tom. “All of our 10 soap bases are for super-sensitive skin as well for people with normal skin.”

Hansel, who also works in the GCSU housing office, feels passionate about selling locally and said she sells a lot of soaps, especially her almond complexion bar and wax potpourri dispensers, which are student-housing safe because they run on a light bulb.

“Lots of students come every week,” Hansel said. “I think they enjoy helping the local economy.”

Professors from GCSU also enjoy the farmers market, especially Dr. Elaine Whitaker, head of the Department of English & Rhetoric.

“I want fresh produce and really enjoy talking to people around here,” Whitaker said while shopping for tomatoes. “It’s a great cultural thing. You meet a lot of people and learn a lot of things.”

Whitaker recommends the homemade pesto and fresh English muffins sold at the market.

Every shopper has a favorite product or food, but all are made fresh locally.

“I enjoy the peaches,” Denovellis said. “I can’t wait to visit again and help out the local economy.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 11 2009. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry