Over 300 people visited the opening day of the Union County Farmers Market on May 6, 2023. Deerinda Cooke, the new manager, kicked off the market with a flourish of musical entertainers and Smokey, the Bluetick Coonhound mascot.

Get it while it lasts! As fall approaches, with its promise of cooler weather, it brings with it the end of our beloved Saturday morning farmers markets. Located in the newly constructed pavilion next to Union County Highschool, this quaint little market carries a robust variety of goodies for shoppers. Catering to all ages, from 0 to 100, there is something for everyone!

By Helina Bailey
Union County Farmers Market is excited to host their first Farm to Table event! The Summer Harvest Dinner will feature an eight-course meal, highlighting produce from local farms and featuring beef from Seven Springs Farm to Table.

As of May 28, the Pavilion at Heritage Park, better known as the Farmers Market, is completely ready for use. From the lights in the rafters to the natural concrete floor, the place exudes practicality with a festive twist.
The stage, back dropped with a gigantic American flag, was framed by the cedar siding on the back wall. Commissioner Danny Cooke from the Union County Opry welcomed hundreds to the pavilion to eat Buddy’s Bar-B-Q and enjoy music by Flashback and Authentic Unlimited.

With the budget issues resolved, the regular Union County Commission meeting on June 28 covered a special recognition, a contract extension, and some 20 pages of FY 21 budget clean up to close out the fiscal year.
Mayor Jason Bailey awarded Carson “Eddie” Thompson a plaque for his years of dedicated service as the Veterans Service Officer.

Join us on Saturday, May 22, as the Union County Farmers Market kicks off our Nourish Kids program. This will be the second season that the market has partnered with Nourish Knoxville to present this program. Through a grant, Nourish Knoxville has been able to assist markets like ours throughout East Tennessee, providing materials and Produce Bucks making this program possible.

You may have noticed that the farmers market is accepting applications for a manager, an assistant manager and a demonstration chef but, it is also the time of year to turn in your vendor applications. Perhaps you have wondered if the Union County Farmers Market is the place for you – we think you’ll agree that it is!

County Commissioner Debra Keck enlightens us regarding the Joint Economic Community Development Board (JECDB) and their current and upcoming plans and projects. I have known Debra Keck for years as Mayor Mike Williams’ assistant, and we interacted often, especially when working together on functions of the Chamber of Commerce and as members of the JECDB. Recently, Keck and I discussed the progress being made in Union County.

At the November 2020 Budget & Finance Meeting, Chairman Larry Lay and the other members of the Union County Budget and Finance Committee along with Mayor Jason Bailey noted that all Union County Government Commission and Committee meetings scheduled for December are being postponed to January due to concerns over the pandemic and no urgent business to conduct.

With energy, enthusiasm, and vision, the Union County Farmers Market, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, applied for a Tennessee CARES Act Grant with a very limited window of opportunity.
The vision was for Union County farmers to be able to sell their end-of-season produce as a food product that was produced in a commercial kitchen.