It’s time! Farmers Markets are opening throughout the south, and that includes your Union County Farmers Market. The season will kick off on Saturday, May 6, and we are looking forward to seeing you there.
Come and welcome our new market manager, Deerenda Cooke, and her daughter, Delana Hutchison, assistant market manager. Both the Union County Farmers Market and UT Extension Union County understand the importance of supporting and promoting not just local small businesses and farms, but our families that make up our community.
We love to be ‘Where our Community Meets’ and share ideas, thoughts and information with adults and children alike. Perhaps you have wondered if the Union County Farmers Market is the place for you—we definitely think that it is!
Not only is the market a great place to support your local farmers and small businesses, it’s kid-friendly, fun, you’ll be getting the freshest produce possible and UT Extension will be there to help you learn how to store and prepare that fresh produce that you may be tasting for the first time! We have recipes available and love to encourage healthy eating and lifestyles for the whole family.
Some of the programs that your UT Extension agents, staff and volunteers will be conducting at the market include:
1) StoryThyme at the Market will occur at the beginning of every market. We love children at the market and understand how important listening to stories can be in your child’s development. We’re looking forward to having some amazing storytellers weaving great stories each week—join us at 10 a.m. weekly!
2) Walk the Market is now Nourish Moves and is sponsored by Nourish Knoxville. It will kick off at our first market on May 6 and continue throughout the season this year.
Earn “Walking Bucks” for walking the market. We would love to see you make walking one of your healthy habits. You may want to consider walking Wilson Park and the UCHS trails while you are at the market. Since May is National Preservation Month, look forward to a themed walk on graduation weekend!
3) Nourish Kids will be sponsored by Nourish Knox once again and will be conducted on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Tastings and fun activities open to all kids ages 3-12.
4) Plant Share will kick off at our first market. Bring a plant to share or just take one home as all plants need a good home.
5) Farm Market Fresh will return later in the season.
6) Individual programs on various topics like gardening, health and nutrition, sustainability, farming, composting and more.
For more information about these programs, follow our Facebook pages for both Union County Farmers Market Facebook and UT Extension Union County or, please contact our office at (865)992-8038.
We’re looking forward to seeing you on opening day at our permanent home, the Heritage Park pavilion, on Durham Drive. We’ll be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. There will be no mid-week market this year, due to continued construction of Heritage Park and the Heritage Kitchen. We are so excited about the support we have received from our county to make this dream a reality. Thanks to everyone in our community who has helped make this possible.