February 23, 2017
The Rockmart farmers market has enjoyed the support of our community for almost ten years now! It has been our goal at the market to support our community through creating a place where local farmers and consumers are able to come together to buy and sell produce. Our venders take pride in providing their customers with high quality goods that are locally and responsibly produced. Our farmers market has successfully brought together the people of our community with a common goal in mind: good food.
Dried apples from Morning Glory
Until this year our market has run from the beginning of May to the middle of November. This covers the growing season of many popular varieties of fruits and vegetables. So why did we, after careful consideration and consultation with our farmers, make the move to becoming a year-round market? Our decision directly relates to our overall goals as a market. We strive to increase “…the health of our community by increasing access to locally produced food”. Through the addition of markets from January to April we provide the community with ready access to locally sourced, healthy food that is not available for sale anywhere else in the area.
Wonderful Carrots from Spreading Oaks Farm!
Here at the market we like to live by this old polish proverb, “If the farmer is poor, then so is the whole country”. The Rockmart farmers market is tremendously passionate about helping the community as a whole. Allowing our vendors to have a place to sell their goods year-round is an important new way we can do that. Our vendors are small business owners. It is part of our job as a farmer’s market to help them be successful.
When asked how the Winter Markets have effected their operation Rebecca Jacobs of the Fall farm in Rockmart Georgia states, “As a meat producer, we have products and inventory that last all year, so having a winter market has greatly helped us move our products in a time when we [don’t] normally have an audience the size of the market to do so”
Sue Edwards and her husband operate Sand Creek farm in Calhoun Georgia. When asked about how the winter market has effected the products they sell Sue states, “…winter market has been good to us…its helped immensely having the market here because where we go in Rome they only have it from the end of May to the first of October.”
So far, the winter markets have been wonderful for our farmers and our community. We hope to see you at market this Thursday from 2:00-5:00. Come see what all the fuss is about!
Beautiful broccoli