Local fresh produce, meats to highlight Elizabethton Farmer’s Market
Published 3:33 pm Friday, May 20, 2022
Photo Contributed Fresh produce such as radishes will be available at the Elizabethton Farmer's Market.
Photo Contributed Whatever one's favorite fresh produce item is, more than likely you can find it at the local Farmer's Market opening in June at Covered Bridge Park.
Photo Contributed Fresh cut flowers will be available for making bouquets.
Photo Contributed Produce of all varieties will be available at the Elizabethton Farmer's Market.
Photo Contributed Shoppers will find items such as fresh herbs when visiting the Farmer's Market at Covered Bridge Park.
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Locally grown produce from Carter and surrounding counties along with fresh meats, baked goods and more will be available starting June 7 at the annual Elizabethton Farmer’s Market.
“We already have a good variety of vendors lined up,” said Donica Krebs, who is heading up the market this year. “We have multiple produce vendors that are all from here in Carter County or an adjoining county and they grow everything themselves. The produce will be all in season so no one will be showing up in June finding peppers and eggplant because those are more of an August produce.
“We are not going to have people buy things from Sam’s Club and bring it in to resell like they do at Johnson City’s Farmer’s Market. We will also have meat vendors offering pork, beef, ham, lamb, goat, and chicken that is also grown locally. We will have baked goods like artisan sour dough breads and we have some others doing dessert baked goods such as cookies, cupcakes, and stuff for the kids.”
Krebs said the market provides a critical way to support the local economy and gives shoppers access to locally grown and sourced products.
“A lot of younger people in our life time have not experienced walking into a grocery story and not getting the things that you need off the shelves,” Krebs said. “During COVID-19, a lot of people experienced that. It’s important to realize the local food economy is important and it might not be there if we don’t do a good job of supporting it. There are a lot of good farmers who are bringing food to their tables and their communities’ tables but just need a little boost to keep going.”
More important, local produce is much healthier, she said. “Food nutrition depreciates about 10% every day. So if food is coming from California, for example, and takes three days to get here, the food is losing about 30% of its nutrition.”
Other items that visitors to the market will find include offerings from artisan vendors that will include such items as hand painted pictures to handcrafted soap. There will also be several people with fresh eggs, homemade jellies and jams, and vendors offering daylilies, irises, vegetable plants and flowering plants. Shoppers also will have the opportunity to purchase fresh cut flowers for bouquets.
The market is still accepting most vendors, although baked good vendor requests are being added to a wait list. For more information, contact Krebs at defarmersmarket@gmail.com.
The market, located at the Covered Bridge Park, takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through August. Live music will be provided.
