By: Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County TimesVendors at the Olive Hill Farmer’s Market last Wednesday said they were happy with the way sales have been going lately. Isaac Bond, with Rose Ridge Farm, who has been growing and selling produce at the market for three years now, said sales have been, “pretty good, better than normal.”
Lisa Zornes, from Carter City, is also in her third year at the market. Zornes, who had a wide variety of tomatoes – including goliaths, William Plummers, early girls, and oxheart – said there are “a lot of people coming out wanting fresh produce.”
Naomi Kiser, from Tick Ridge Fork, said she thinks some of that demand may have to do with the late start to the growing season. Some folks gardens didn’t do as well as they hoped, and others gave up on putting out gardens, because of the late frosts this year.
“It wasn’t the best season, with late freezes and all that,” Kiser said. Nevertheless, she and husband Greg still had a wide variety of produce to sell, including potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, corn, zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins, butternut squash, onions and indian corn.
“There’s a lot of competition,” she said, “but the market’s going pretty good.”
The Olive Hill Farmer’s Market, in the parking lot of the Save A Lot grocery, is open Mondays, from 3 p.m. until sold out, Wednesdays from 8 a.m. until sold out, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until sold out.
The Grayson Farmer’s Market, behind the Agricultural Extension Agency office on Rt. 60, is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 – 5 p.m. or until sold out, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – Noon, or until sold out.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com.
