Clinton farmers’ market attracts vendors, customers despite rain on opening day
Marjorie Ford of Corryton, right, waits on a customer at her booth during last Thursday’s opening day of the Clinton FARM Market in Lakefront Park. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
For the second year in a row, the market is being held in Clinton’s Lakefront Park. It was moved there last season because of changes and construction at the previous location, which was in the Commerce Street parking lot downtown.
The market will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Thursday “rain or shine” near the new Clinton U.S. 25 bridge over the Clinch River in Lakefront Park, off Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
“We hope to build on the success we had last year in Lakefront Park,” said Kathy Mihalczo, president of the East Tennessee Farm Association for Retail Marketing, or FARM, which sponsors the market. “Spring crops usually are available early, such as sweet and white potatoes, lettuce, chard, kale, beets and radishes.”
Majorie Ford, owner of Tillman Rabbit Farm in Corryton – which she said actually no longer has rabbits, was on hand selling lavender and rosemary on opening day.
At about 10 a.m., when a thunderstorm was briefly overhead, she said she was hoping for better weather the rest of the day, but was a bit nervous being under a steel-framed tent with lightning in the area.
David Davis of Etowah, a regular vendor at the Clinton market, was on hand with some early crops, including various lettuces and other leafy greens, strawberries and green onions.
“We will be here all summer,” he said.
Mihalczo said the sponsoring association has more than 100 members, 75 of whom are farmers.
“Besides the produce, our market also will have bakers, plant growers, gourmet food vendors, artisan crafts, honey, and cut flowers,” she said.
“We hope the community will come out and support the vendors,” she said. “We had great traffic last year and we love being part of the Clinton community. The SNAP-EBT food benefit program is available. People can use their benefit cards to get tokens to spend at the market.
“Everything is locally grown,” she added. “We inspect the farms to be sure.”
In Norris, the farmers’ market opened in early May, and is held from 3-6 p.m. each Wednesday in the downtown area in front of Norris Middle school.
Mindy Wells has coordinated the Norris market for the past several years. She hopes to have about 15 vendors each week, and said all of them will be from the local area.
“Our market has been much more focused on small farmers and backyard farmers,” she said. “People who grow blueberries in their back yards. People who have gardens, but just have too much produce, or have a couple of beehives, so they have some honey to sell. These are people who aren’t necessarily farmers, but they do have things to offer.”
“We’re still open to new vendors, and anyone interested can contact us through our Facebook page or call me directly,” Wells said. “We’re not part of any of the farmers market associations.” she said.