Grab your wallets and plan to spend the day at The Farm each Saturday beginning June 6 for the opening of the 6th annual Farmer’s Market.
A variety of vegetables, meats and arts and crafts will be for sale, and it’s also the perfect chance for a young entrepreneur to
test their market. Ben Branch will be one of those young entrepreneurs. Dani Deshotel, executive director of The Farm, says he donated four hens to The Farm, and each year he’s come to the event, he’s been able to sell the eggs from some of the hens he’s raised.
“He raises chickens and sells the eggs,” she said. “He’s sold his eggs at our Farmer’s Market for about the last three years. He’s very knowledgeable about the chickens and he helps us with ours on the weekends.”
Young entrepreneurs who wish to sell their wares may do so for a yearly membership of $10. The young entrepreneur program is open to any school student under the age of 18.
For the adult vendors, booth space is available for $30, and it is an annual membership fee that allows vendors to set up at any event hosted at The Farm throughout the year. Senior citizens who wish to set up a booth of their hand-made, home-spun or homegrown items may do so at a discount, also at $10.
“We’re expecting a big year,” Deshotel said. “We pushed the market back a whole month to allow more growing season for the
farmers.”
“We expect to have a lot more vegetables this year since we pushed it back,” said Tina McKissack, chairman of the Farmer’s Market.
Cloth bags to keep all customers’ purchases in will be for sale for $5, as well. The proceeds from vendor booths and the sale of the bags will go towards the vegetable garden at The Farm as well as art programs and events there. It also covers mandatory insurance premiums which allows the events at The Farm to take place, Chris Broussard, chairman of the Cultural Crossroads board, says.
Along with all the vegetables that will be for sale, other items will be available as well, including soaps, sugar scrubs, unique plants, fresh herbs, herbal teas, honey, handcrafted jewelry and woodwork art.
One of the bigger attractions to the Farmer’s Market is Mahaffey’s Farm, which comes each year selling local fresh meats and vegetables. The Mahaffey’s have a 100-acre farm, and is one of the few organic farms in the area, Broussard says.
More vendors and farmers are being sought for this year’s Farmer’s Market.
“The Farmer’s Market is an experience in itself,” Broussard said, attributing much of that experience to the atmosphere. “This Farmer’s Market is an experience times two.”
The Farmer’s Market will run each Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. until July 25. For more information, booth availability or information, or questions, call Deshotel at 318-268-2122 or McKissack at 318-268-4555.