Green acres is the place to be
Story by Doug HILL ~ Photos by Kyle PHILLIPS Perrys ’ Farm in Goldsby serves Norman city slickers
Raising fresh produce such as tomatoes , okra and squash is hard work . It requires expertise , favorable conditions and patience . Many city folks don ’ t have those , they just want their baby arugula . Here for much of the year there ’ s ready access to locally grown vegetables from Perry ’ s Farm and other vendors at Norman Farm Market , 210 S . James Garner Avenue ( The Well ).
Perry ’ s Farm is at 937 E . Center Road , Goldsby ( I-35 Exit 104 ) and is open for sales to the public starting the end of March , Wednesday through Sunday , 11 a . m . to 7 p . m . It ’ s a family owned and operated enterprise going back over 40 years . Charlene Perry is presently Chief Executive Officer . It started out with having too many black eyed peas from a crop she ’ d planted to feed a flock of sheep .
“ I decided it would be a good idea to sell all those extra black eyed peas ,” Perry said . “ The people who came out to pick those and buy them from me wanted more stuff . The next year we planted more vegetables and sold corn in Norman by the side of the road .”
In 1980 the Cleveland County Fair Board started the Norman Farm Market . In 2022 it will run from April through October , Saturdays 8 a . m . to noon and Tuesdays 4 p . m . to 7 p . m .
“ I signed up and sold that very first year ,” Perry said . “ 42 years later my kids are grown .”
The youngest offspring and spouse are still helping their mom out on the farm . Perry is dedicated to maintaining a constant supply of vegetables for their customers which requires a lot of planning and work . Perry and husband Richard both came from agricultural families and their farm is a continuation of that tradition .
“ We really enjoy seeing stuff grow ,” Perry said . “ We sell now from both the farm and at the Norman Farm Market to be able to sell all the product we ’ re raising .” For a time the Perry ’ s Farm sales were from literally under a shade tree . Now have a new building dedicated to the operation along with a greenhouse for their over 30 varieties of transplant peppers , tomatoes and squash for sale . Perry ’ s Farm also intends to maintain their sales presence at the Norman Farm Market ’ s new downtown venue .
“ We ’ ve done well at Norman Farm Market for over 42 years ,” Perry said . “ I don ’ t think any of the other vendors were there the beginning year . We ’ ve grown in diversity and quantity .”
10 NormanMagazine . com | MARCH / APRIL 2022