The Bartlett Station Farmers Market at Freeman Park begins its 2015 season this weekend with a new part-time manager, Bartlett resident Ronda Curry.
She was a vendor at the market in 2013 as an independent distributor of Organo Gold brand organic coffees and teas.
She comes to the market after previously serving for 13 years as a traffic engineer for the city of Memphis.
As the market’s new manager, she has been securing this year’s vendors and lining up musical entertainment and other activities for the market’s 2015 season.
This year’s season will run from May 2 through Sep. 19, and it is open 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays.
Founded in 2011, the market has the mission of improving public health and nutrition in the community, providing access to locally grown food sources, and assisting local farmers, artisans and producers with the opportunity to distribute their goods.
MID-SOUTH FARMERS MARKETS
Bartlett Station Farmers Market
Nestled among the shady pines of Freeman Park, the 2015 Bartlett Station Farmers Market offers residents access to locally grown, sustainable, fresh produce and value-added products from 7 a.m. to noon each Saturday beginning May 2 at Freeman Park. The market is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit, family and nutrition-oriented gathering place. Vendors offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, with heirloom strains, jellies, plants, flowers, baked goods, seafood, artisan coffee, fresh chips and dips, strawberry lemonade, and more. There will be educational programs throughout the season. For details, call (901) 372-9457.
Carriage Crossing Farmers Market
Area farmers and vendors will offer locally grown produce every Friday at the market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. May 1 through Sept. 30 in the Central Park roundabout, 4674 Merchants Park Circle, Collierville. For more information, call (901) 854-8240.
Collierville Farmers Market
This market will open for the season on April 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday in the Collierville United Methodist Church parking lot at 454 W. Poplar Ave. For details, email colliervillefm@gmail.com.
Germantown Farm Park Market
The farmers market at the Bobby Lanier Farm Park will offer local produce June 4 through Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 4-7:30 p.m., at 7901 Poplar Pike. Along with fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, the market also offers a variety of value-added products, fresh flowers, live music, local art, food truck vendors, children’s activities and cooking demos. It is a producer-only market. For details, call (901) 757-7378 or email jroberts@germantown-tn.gov.
Memphis Farmers Market
This market will be every Saturday now through October, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine, at Central Station, South Front Street at GE Patterson in the Historic South Main District. For details and a calendar of weekly events, go to memphisfarmersmarket.org.
Millington Farmers Market
This market will open for the season on May 2 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5152 Easley Street. There will be bluegrass pickin’, a horseshoe tournament, corn hole, demonstrations from the Milling-ton Police and Fire departments, kite flying and games. The market will be open Saturdays through October. For details, call (901) 873-5770.
Agricenter International Farmers Market
This market is open now through October, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday at 7777 Walnut Grove Road. More than 15 vendors will offer fresh fruit and vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, baked goods, fresh flowers and more. For a list of vendors, go to agricenter.org/farmers-market.
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
This market is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1000 S. Cooper Street, Memphis. For details, contact marketmanager Caitlin Dupuigrenet at (901) 570-0565 or email caitlin@cycfm.org.
In discussions with the market’s advisory committee members, Curry noted, “The focus is to keep Bartlett Station as a true farmers market rather than a bazaar or flea market.”
To that end, of the 16 vendors lined up for this season thus far, the majority are vendors for fruits, vegetables and other foods.
Some of the vendors include the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, who will be selling home-baked goods, Donna’s Kettle Corn, Vernon’s Farms Beef and other vendors selling honey and tortillas.
Liberty Rocks will be selling homemade soaps, and A New Life will be selling herbal ointments, creams and spices. Mike’s Knife Sharpener will also be on site.
Volunteers will be on hand to help vendors and have water for market visitors and their pets.
Curry commented that many of those who visit the market are people who regularly walk the track in the park on weekends, along with parents and their children involved in sports activities in Freeman Park.
As the new manager, she said, “It’s different from anything that I’ve tried before, but I’m up for it and I think it’s going to be good.”
Philip Johnson, director of economic development for the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’re very glad to have her, because she knows the market very well. She has been participating in the market for the last couple of years and has a great demeanor with her colleagues at the market. So we’re very pleased to have her.”
Curry invites everyone in the community to come and explore the market at Freeman Park, 2629 Bartlett Boulevard.
Additional information about the market is available online at bartlettstationfarmersmarket.org or on the market’s Facebook page at facebook.com/bartlettmarket.
