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Local News
Enjoying fresh produce By Matt Shaw Daily Times Staff Writer Want to know what's good at the Wilson County Farmers Market? Ask Ruby Killebrew. The Wilson woman walked out of the market Saturday morning, her arms weighted down with bags of produce. "We come every Saturday and buy everything that is in season," she said. "We eat it up and come back and buy more." She deemed the prices "reasonable," adding, "I think we should support the farmers, especially the county you grew up in." So far, shoppers like Killebrew have made the Farmers Market a blooming success. In mid-May, the market opened Saturday mornings at the Wilson County Fairgrounds on U.S. 301 with a handful of vendors but has picking up as local produce has come off. The past two weeks, the market has had 12 vendors, said agricultural extension agent Billy Little. Around 800 people shopped at the market June 28. Traffic was slightly down this past Saturday because of the holiday weekend, but sales were still brisk. "We are starting to build our client base," Little said. "Really, we are beyond our expectations at this point. Everything has been very, very positive." Jerry Coleman of J&K Veggies, president of the farmers group, agreed. Saturday, he took 640 ears of corn, the last of which were bought around 10:30 a.m. He had sold more than 10 boxes of tomatoes and hoped to sell five more by noon. Economists will tell you that you need two things for a successful sale -- interested sellers and anxious buyers. Saturday had plenty of both. Daniel Heffner of Wilson walked out with a bag of corn. He had come when the market first opened, but he likes it better now. "There's a good variety, plenty of things to buy," he said. He laughed then as he pointed to a large sign announcing "free parking." "I like that, too," he said. Keith and Ellen Johnston of Wilson said they try to buy local produce when they can. "If you buy it at the store, you don't know where it's come from," she said. Concerns about food safety have probably helped the market, Little said. Shoppers like to know their food was grown in Wilson, Nash or Johnston counties and hasn't been on a truck for days. "We have items that were picked yesterday, last night or this morning," Little said. "That's a real selling point." Barnes Produce has only been at the market for two weeks, Bryan Barnes said, but he's been happy with his results. His stand included blueberries, okra, squash and zucchini, as well as homemade ice cream. Laura Allgood said she likes the market. "You can't eat it all yourself so it's good to be able to sell some," she said. Barnes added that the other vendors have been supportive. "It's one big happy family here," he said. Matthew Garrett, who grows organic produce, has been at the market since the first weeks. "There's definitely more of a market in Wilson for organics than you'd suspect," he said. His table included tomatoes, garlic and a goat milk soap that he had made himself. Howard Farms of Lucama has been selling at the market for a month, said Janice Howard. Hot sellers include corn and snap beans, but everything has sold well, including flowers and eggs. "It's really enjoyable being out here meeting people," she said. "You see a lot of your neighbors. And there are getting to be a lot of familiar faces." mshaw@wilsontimes.com | 265-7878
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