Madison County Farmers' Market Visit

Lane and I have been on the road and visiting farmers' markets in southeast Missouri the last two days. Tuesday evening Lane and I traveled to Fredericktown to enjoy a visit at the Madison County Farmers' Market. The Madison County Farmers' Market was just established this year, and they are having great success in their first market season. With some very enthusiastic vendors at the site, you could feel their true passion and love for their new farmers' market.

Even though its only their first year of existence, Madison County Farmers' Market had a wide variety of items for consumers to purchase. Some vendors had beautiful cut flowers such as zinnias and large sunflowers, while other vendors were selling high quality produce including zucchinis, carrots, and even red beets! Local baked goods along with many varieties of herbs were also available. The vendors at the Madison County Farmers' Market had a steady stream of customers throughout the entirety of our visit, and most producers sold out before the end of the evening.

After our visit to the market, Lane and I were fortunate enough to be given a tour of the farm of the market manager, Karen Yates. Karen had an impressive layout of three large garden plots, rows in their field of fresh flowers, plus a several acres of sweet corn. While only two people help with the harvesting of all their produce, they have managed to plant numerous varieties of tomatoes and green beans, most of which will be sold at the Madison County Farmers' Market soon.

As we approached the Madison County Farmers' Market, Lane and I were pleased to see the "Farmers' Market Open Today" banner proudly hung in front of the market. As we were leaving the market, we were also pleased to see happy customers walking away from happy producers. Working together towards a locally supported community is what farmers' markets are all about.