By Rachel Bevill-Cottrell Special to West Washington County Directory

The Farmington Farmers Market is a haven for anyone who wants to spend their day shopping locally and meeting the people who make up the town . The farmers market allows the public to access a variety of local merchants in one location , while experiencing the town ’ s camaraderie and taking a glimpse into the lives of the area ’ s local farmers , produce growers , artists and craftsmen .

The market provides farmers and crafters in the Farmington area the opportunity to register as vendors and sell their handmade goods , homegrown produce and locally raised foods and products to the public .

Erika Murphy co-manages the Farmington Farmers Market with Michelle Tabor , executive director of the Farmington Chamber of Commerce .

“ We are going to open in April and it will run through Sept . 28 . The final market of the year will coincide with the Farmington Fall Festival , which we felt would be a fitting end to the season ,” Murphy said .

When Murphy and Tabor began managing the farmers market last year , they focused on re-energizing the public about the event , involving more vendors and making it more about the people and helping the community than ever before .

One innovative idea they came up with was the addition of a special dog-themed event each month . The last weekend of every month , the market hosts Dog Days at the Market , a dog food drive with veterinarians from Farmington Veterinary Clinic in attendance . The theme is designed to help local rescues and individuals with buying dog food and getting medical help for their pets .

“ It has been a big hit , and that ’ s just the start of some of the things that Farmington Farmers Market offers the community .” Murphy said .

Challenges , Community Outreach , and More One of the biggest obstacles that the market faces is procuring local produce and growers to bring their produce to the market . “ We have a wide variety of other products and vendors , but produce has been challenging ,” Murphy explained . “ Being a small area amongst a larger hub is great on the one hand , because it gives a space to locals to showcase what they can do , grow and craft . But on the other hand , it means that there are many other markets in the area that compete with our market .

“ A lot of produce growers from the area are stretched thin trying to provide produce to the other local markets . To mitigate this , we will actually go and pick up produce for vendors , set it up at our market and sell it for them , just so that our patrons have produce to choose from .”

This is an undertaking that is difficult and time consuming , but Murphy and Tabor are willing to do what it takes to ensure that local growers are able to sell their produce at the market , while simultaneously offering the Farmington community a wide range of produce to choose .

“ This year , we have actually had a few new produce vendors that have signed up , so that is exciting . We had around 25 vendors total last year , which was a big improvement upon previous years , and we have high hopes for that number to steadily grow every year ,” said Murphy .

She also talked about the different types of vendors and what they have to offer .

“ We have vendors that do crafts , T-shirts , harvest local honey , woodworking , building birdhouses and tie-dying things . We even have fiber artists , quilters , artwork , resin artists that can make these intricate plant starters , flower vendors , like Tilted Fence , candy vendors , a pork rind business called Robertson ’ s Rinds , bakers that make sourdough , cookies , and so much more . I can ’ t even begin to list out every item that our vendors have , you ’ ll just

have to come and see for yourself .” The Farmington Farmers Market provides a space for the community to gather and meet new people while enjoying the recently renovated Creekside Park .

“ We are really trying to do more community activities to bring more people together .” Murphy said , “ We would really like to use the farmers market as a platform for donations for the local schools , pets , and more . We are open to partnering with any local non-profit or community resource to help keep Farmington flourishing .”

Murphy and Tabor continue their efforts to revitalize and grow the farmers market by partnering with local businesses and individuals , including Jacob Paul , a music teacher and the owner of Inside Out Studios in Farmington . Paul is planning to bring some of his students to sing at the farmers market , which will not only bring merriment to the community , it will hopefully inspire the younger generations to become involved in the market .

“ His students will actually be at our opening day , which is April 27 at Creekside Park , off of Broyles Street ,” Murphy said . “ We will have an official ribbon cutting with the mayor of Farmington to launch our 2024 season of the farmers market , and it just so happens that Dog Days of the Month will begin that weekend , too , so we expect a good turnout and lots of participation during kickoff .”

That momentum will continue

Photo / courtesy of Farmington Chamber of Commerce

for the Farmington Farmers Market throughout the season , and Murphy and Tabor are doing everything they can to make sure that the community enjoys the experience .

“ We will have food trucks set up , drinks will be available for purchase , and you ’ ll be able to shop from a huge assortment of vendors . We are even working toward providing internet access for the market ,” Murphy said . “ We already have tons of shade trees and it is right there on the creek , so we are going to try and secure hammocks so the community can make a day of it .”

“ Melissa McCarval , the city manager of Farmington , is actually working on incorporating a mountain bike track close to the park , as well ,” Murphy added .

At the Farmington Farmers Market , shoppers can step away from goods that are massproduced by corporations and purchase straight from the source . By cutting out the middleman , the market brings products directly from the farm to the table , creating a micro market within the community that stimulates local business and benefits the farmers , while simultaneously raising money that goes back into the community .

Experience all that Farmington has to offer and show your support for local vendors and the community at the Farmington Farmers Market . Hours of operation will be 9 a . m . to 1 p . m . every Saturday , beginning the last weekend of April through Sept . 28 .