Farmer’s Market to open Saturday
Published 3:00 am Thursday, May 11, 2017
The Pike County Farmers Market will open at 7 a.m. Saturday on the grass lot between Troy Bank & Trust Main Office and Bicentennial Park.
Market Manager Nick D’Andrea said this year’s market is shaping up to be one of the best in years.
“We are expecting eight farmers on opening day and two to four more farmers will join us during May,” D’Andrea. “By June we should have between 20 and 25 farmers at the Pike County Farmers Market.”
Saturday’s opening day market will be from 7 until 11 a.m. Weekday markets will be from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same location.
D’Andrea said Saturday’s market will have a good variety of early summer produce including, kale of different varieties, collards, turnips, lettuce, squash, early tomatoes, honey and blueberries.
“We’ll also have farm fresh eggs and some homemade jams and jellies, so it should be a good opening day,” D’Andrea said.
Snap beans and early peas are also a good possibility for the early market days.
“Around the first of June, the market should have cucumbers and white peas could come around the middle of June and raspberries and blackberries will be available around that time,” D’Andrea said.
“Tomatoes will be available throughout the summer.”
Shoppers are always interested in peaches and D’Andrea said the Pike County Farmers Market will have Chilton County peaches available probably around late June.
“We want clear seed peaches and that’s about the time for them,” he said. “Later in the summer, we’ll have muscadines and sweet potatoes. We’ll have a good market all summer long and encourage people to support our local farmers by shopping for farm-fresh produce.”