Donna Jones may be a little difficult to get hold of over the next few days. She is busy checking all the final details in preparation to open the 2022 Farmers Market on the Square Saturday. She is making sure vendors have everything they need, and customers have a menu of what exactly is available.
“We are pretty excited and eager to get the market started,” said Jones, market coordinator. “We are a little anxious because you are wanting opening day to go smooth. You never know how things are going to go. This year, we have a lot of new vendors coming in so that is definitely something that you are concerned about. All in all, I think we are ready.”
The Farmers Market on the Square, in its 10th year, will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Merchant Street and Campbellsville Road. The market is scheduled for every Saturday through the month of October.
“We are still taking vendors,” Jones said. “The word is out that we are full, but I have a waiting list for vendors. Sometimes craft vendors don’t stay at the market for a long period of time so if a vendor quits or doesn’t show up, I want to move somebody into that place. I want to keep a full market this year.”
Jones said opening day for her includes checking every vendor’s paperwork, making sure booths are taken care of, and answering any questions that may arise.
“Some of the new vendors will be offering eggs, and there will be a lot of different crafts coming in,” Jones said. “We have a lot of new vegetable vendors, but they may not be there Saturday because vegetables are not quite ready yet. We will have several baked good people there with fresh baked goods. We have a wide variety of vendors coming in.”
Jones said she has been amazed how word about the market has spread over the years.
“We are even hearing that other communities are getting excited that the market is opening because those people enjoy coming to shop with us,” she said. “We are very happy to have surrounding counties visit and shop with us. That just shows we are doing a good job.”
The vendors are held to a high standard by Jones. They have to take training classes, safety classes and be knowledgeable about the products they are selling.
“The thing that vendors like about our market is that you have to either bake it, make it or grow it on your farm to be able to sell it,” she said. “We do not let you buy something from somewhere else and bring it in and sell it. Some markets do that, we do not. It must be homegrown, home-made and home baked.”
Jones said that rule is an assurance for the customer that what they buy each Saturday is the freshest it can possibly be. She said the vegetables are probably picked, loaded on the truck and brought to the market on the same day.
“The fresh, the local, that is what our market is all about,” said Jones. “We want to support our local farmers and we try to keep our prices the same. We appreciate the community support.”
For more information about the Farmers Market on the Square, contact Jones at 270-634-2125.