Published: October 08, 2009 07:16 pm      

Farmer’s Market offers fall items, new location

Fans of fresh vegetables, jellies and other produce and items should be able to get their fill every Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.

The seasonal event is back for its fall run, but at a new location. Area residents can find the local produce and items available at 7 a.m., every Saturday morning through October, and possibly beyond, in the front of the Beall’s parking lot on MacArthur Drive in Orange.

Dr. Roy Stanford of the AgriLife Extension Service in Orange County said the producers are more in charge of the market this year and will dictate how successful it is by the effort put forth.

“We had several calls from people interested in having another Farmer’s Market and kind of got things moving,” Stanford explained. “My role is really just to help them but it is primarily organized by the individual producers. If they can get established this fall, especially in this more visible location, then the spring market will be that much better.”

Stanford said the market’s success depends heavily on the producers who attend, participate and promote the weekly event.

Heidi Welch of Buna is a familiar face at the Orange Farmer’s Market. She participated in the fall 2008 event and again this past spring, and enjoys her time offering her wares in Orange.

“The spring market typically has more vegetables to offer than anything else,” Welch of the vendors who offer goods at the weekly Farmer’s Market. “But the people who come out for the fall market seem to know what they are looking for and what items should be available.”

Welch attended last Saturday’s opening of the fall market and offered canned good items like figs, picante sauce, and a variety of jellies including prickly pear, crabapple and muscadine.

Welch said other goods are also available. She routinely offers various craft items such as crochet.

She estimated 10 vendors attended the opening day of the market, which she felt is a good number for the first day, but said attendance was “a little slow.”

“I think some people just really haven’t heard about it yet,” Welch explained.

However, depending on how long the market remains open through the fall, Welch believes that will change.

“A popular item this time of year are Satsumas,” she continued. “They will be coming into season very soon, and a lot of people know to look for them around this time of year.”

The Farmer’s Market is held weekly, every Saturday, at the new location in Orange and will continue through October and possibly into November. Call the Texas AgriLife Extension Office in Orange County at 409-882-7010 for more information.