Students and locals start turning to farmer’s markets for their fresh and natural needs
Spring is coming into full bloom and Rock Hill locals and students are turning to farmer’s markets to start living a healthier lifestyle and endorse local farms.
Legal Remedy Brewing in Rock Hill recently decided to open up the outside area in front of their restaurant to local businesses and farms for what is being called the “Old Town Farmers Market.”
According to a survey conducted by the city of Rock Hill, 87 percent of locals said that fresh produce is what attracted them to farmers markets, with artisan based farmers coming in second at 49 percent.
The farmers market in Rock Hill is usually held in the summer season between June and August. The summer market balances between both produce and craft vendors. The main focus of the Spring market at Legal Remedy Brewing is food and farming.
Sarah Key was one of the major players in making the Spring market a reality, and directing the focus to food rather than crafts.
“For this market, we went with the intention of being farm to fork, so we
went with all food based, trying to move away from the crafting side of the farmers market,” the seasonal events supervisor out of the economical development department of the city of Rock Hill said.
The Spring market is made up of 80 percent farmers, with the remaining 20 percent made up of crafts and information.
During its opening day on March 3, the market had multiple farm vendors selling everything from various meats to locally grown lavender lotion.
Critter Creek Farm was just one of many booths at the opening. Specializing in flowers and goat raising, the farm was selling mixed bouquets, living wreaths and loofahs.
Owner of Critter Creek Farm, Terri Gustin, said, “It’s fun talking to everybody, seeing everybody come through and especially the loofah, people always said ‘I thought that grew in the sea,’ which I did too before I grew it.”
Critter Creek also holds sessions of “Goat Yoga” which allows people to participate in a beginner yoga class lasting 50-60 minutes as miniature goats wander around you. More information on goat yoga and what they have to offer can be found on their website at www.crittercreekfarm.com.
Another vendor in attendance was The Bulb, a mobile nonprofit farmers market that brings under-served areas fresh produce, cooking tutorials and recipe kits.
Recently The Bulb received a grant that will allow them to purchase a food truck to aid in the daily activity of delivering produce to food deprived areas.
Executive Director Alisha Pruett already has big plans for the food truck and the community it will serve.
“We have a place where they can walk through the concession trailer and pick their items, and we also have a pop-up kitchen so, it’s going to be a great tool for our community,” she said.
For more information on The Bulb, visit their website at www.thebulbgallery.org.
The farmers market is not only helping local farms to sell their products, but is also helping the community.
A local couple in Rock Hill came to the market for reasons deeper than the want of fresh produce.
Kevin Mallette said of his wife, Mary, “She’s a cancer survivor and so she’s trying to cook right, eat right, things like this and in combination with her daddy, many years ago when the farmers market was down where Fountain Park is now, he would go there so they grew up there.”
He continued, “The farmers market have had hard times and we want to support them and want them to do well.”
As for Mary Mallette, she is glad to see the fresh produce and that the farms have become a family business.
“It’s just great to be out here and get these fresh vegetables and the non-modified meats and stuff, and seeing the children and their families working together on these farms, that’s cool,” she said.
Mike Ramsey, head chef at Legal Remedy Brewing and the other major player that helped start up the Old Town Farmers Market, wants the idea of staying local to mean something to everyone.
“Rock Hill has the potential to do that for everybody. People don’t think about it, they’re just caught up in the hustle and bustle, but when you slow down, it affects everything in the community,” the member of the Catawba Food and Farm Coalition said.
“When you shop local and you help the local people, then you’re going to keep a lot of things local and were trying to grow that mindset in the community.”
Old Town Farmers Market at Legal Remedy Brewing will be held every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., hosting different vendors every week.
