Full Market Offers Variety and Quality: Sept. 7 Farmers Market Report

Last weekend’s Floyd Farmers Market offered more variety and volume of product than any previous market. We had a wide range of fruits and vegetables as some producers were still able to bring in later summer products such as Crowder peas, sweet corn, eggplants, okra, sweet and hot peppers, and heirloom tomatoes. Other vendors had on offer the cooler weather products such as kohlrabi, fennel, and winter squash. The variety of fruits has broadened to include grapes, more varieties of apples, plums, peaches, melons, and berries (blueberries and gold and red raspberries). If the weather holds, we should see the same products in the market next week as well.

A newcomer to the market this week was Twelve Stone Farm offering an assortment of hot peppers, from mild to spicy hot, and a pepper roasting service. The smell of Bob’s roasting peppers filled the air-what a wonderful aroma. He will return this weekend so come enjoy the rare treat of freshly roasted peppers in our market on Saturday.

The EBT Service and Double Value Matching Program were very much in demand last weekend. This is a wonderful opportunity for SNAP beneficiaries to use their EBT account to shop in the Floyd Farmers Market at half price. Yes, Virginia, through a grant from the Woodrow Vest Foundation, the Floyd Farmers Market is able to double the value of the EBT credits of SNAP beneficiaries up to $100 so that SNAP beneficiaries effectively receive products at half price! This makes wholesome grain fed meat products, gourmet breads, and biologically and organically grown produce available at affordable prices. Your family deserves this opportunity to eat wholesome, fresh agricultural products!

We are still raffling a flower bouquet carefully crafted by Tree Gigante at $2.00 a raffle ticket. Tree offers the vase and flowers as well as a refill! What a deal! Fresh, brilliant zinnias and dainty, delicate Lisianthus are just two of the many late summer flowers that can be in your bouquet! The proceeds from the raffle go to improve the sound system in the market so that the live music can by enjoyed throughout the market.

Speaking of which, the music on Saturday will be provided by Scott Perry and his talented students! This is a “Must-Attend” because they are just great! See you there!