As part of the Grand Opening festivities, Bud McClure will have a variety of specialty vegetables and fruits that are not normally available at the Robeson County Farmers Market. The farmers selling at this market offer an opportunity to sample new and different vegetables.

I have already mentioned the Robeson County Farmers Market a couple of times in this column this year. I wanted to make sure you were aware that you should be buying your fruits and vegetables locally as much as possible.

Although the market has been operating for about two months, the official Grand Opening will be observed this coming Saturday, June 20. This is very fitting, because this weekend is officially the beginning of summer.

A few vegetables are available during late winter and early spring but not enough for the farmers to be able to provide a large and diverse supply. Although the market is already in operation, the Grand Opening was scheduled to coincide with this time of the year when the greatest variety and most abundant supply is available.

When you visit the market this weekend, you will find a large supply of sweet corn, cabbage, red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini squash, and cucumbers. You will also be able to purchase tomatoes, blueberries, peaches, bell pepper, carrots, snap beans, turnips, onions, and honey. There is no telling what else you might find at the market, so visit with all the farmers and check out what they have to sell.

If you have not already made plans to do so, I encourage you to go to the farmers market this weekend. The market officially opens at 7 a.m. You can go to the market early Saturday morning, buy your vegetables, socialize with your friends who are also shopping at the market, and get back to the house in plenty of time for breakfast. If you have out-of-town plans for the weekend, you can shop the market early before you leave town.

There will be lots of festivities this coming Saturday as part of the Grand Opening. Free samples of vegetables will be offered, and you will have the chance of winning lots of prizes. Reusable shopping bags will be provided by the market members for you to use the remainder of the season in an effort to reduce the amount of disposable bags that are currently being used.

Janice Fields, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, will be demonstrating how to cook different vegetables provided by the farmers. She will have recipes available, and you will be able to sample the items she prepares. In fact, you might want to forget about going back home for breakfast and just eating with her. Bring you own cup of coffee.

H. H. Robertson, farmer and temporary manager of the market, is responsible for making sure everyone who sells at the market is a certified producer from Robeson County and that everything offered for sale was grown right here in the county. Kerrie Roach, Extension Horticultural Agent, and Jeff Floyd, Extension Agricultural Technician, are responsible for personally visiting each of the farmers who sell at the market to certify what they are growing and that the vegetables are being grown under Best Management Practices.

Danny Kinlaw, President of the Robeson County Farmers Market, stresses that the vegetables sold at the market are just as fresh as you can get. Virtually everything sold at the market is harvested the afternoon before arriving at the market. In some cases, certain vegetables are harvested as the sun is rising and taken directly to the market. You just can't get any fresher than that.

Almost every time I visit the market, I see Scott Bigelow, Public Relations Director for UNC-Pembroke. He and I joke about his wife's efforts to grow vegetables at home in raised beds and containers. Although they enjoy the experience and are beginning to enjoy some of the harvest from their garden, he is quick to admit it is a lot easier, and often less expensive, to buy vegetables at the market rather than grown them yourself.

This past Saturday, Scott was proudly showing off one single string bean he had just harvested from his garden. It was the only bean that was ready to be eaten and far from enough for a serving for even one individual. He was joking that he had to come to the market to buy more beans to go with the one bean he harvested from his garden.

The Robeson County Farmers Market is located on Elm Street in the downtown area of Lumberton. It operates out of a county-owned parking lot adjacent to the County Administration Building. The County Commissioners, along with the City of Lumberton, allow this parking lot to be used for this purpose, so our local farmers will have a convenient place to sell their fruits and vegetables. In addition, it provides a much-needed and convenient place for Lumberton residents, and others from around the county, to buy locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

Although he is serving as temporary manager of the market, Mr. Robertson's primary concern is selling his own vegetables and helping his wife take care of their customers. A part-time manager for this market is needed, so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please have them contact Mr. Kinlaw. This person would be responsible for overseeing the safe and efficient operation of the market, making sure the area is clean and attractive, minor paperwork for recordkeeping and publicity, and assisting customers and farmers.

Summer is here. Eat your vegetables. See you at the Farmers Market.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/16/09