Farmers Market gears up for grand opening
Published 9:24 am Tuesday, May 24, 2016
With summer rolling in on a hot wave, the Brookhaven Farmers Market is gearing up for its grand opening June 3 at Railroad Park.
Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Godbold Transportation Center and every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to noon in Railroad Park, growers will descend into downtown to help bring some earthy goodness to locals.
Lincoln County Extension Agent Rebecca Bates said the Farmers Market will be stocked with fresh vegetables, including field-ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, onions, pickles cucumbers, mustard, squash and red beans, on its first day.
Homemade goodies like Lincoln County honey, jellies and jams, will be available, along with fresh farm eggs, T&R dairy products and locally grown beef and pork, Bates said.
“We have got a great market opening planned,” Bates said. “This is the first time we’ve opened with field-ripe tomatoes. It’s going to be the best yet.”
“First Friday with Farm Bureau” will return this year with their first appearance on opening day. The team will sell hamburgers and all proceeds will be donated to the Farmers Market.
On June 10, the Farmers Market will celebrate National Dairy Month. Free chocolate milk and ice cream will be distributed as well as the appearance of baby calves in Railroad Park. Farm Bureau will return with their hamburgers for sale as well as free grilled sweet corn.
“The Southeastern Dairy Industry Association along with the Lincoln County Dairymen will attend Dairy Day,” Bates said. “It is going to be fabulous.”
Dairy Day will also include a dairy cook-off at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce. Bates said there will be two divisions, youth for ages 7 to 17 and adult for 18 and up, and three categories, appetizer, main dish and dessert.
The market runs through the growing season, so Bates predicts the market will start to dwindle down in August.
Sponsors of the Farmers Market are the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors, the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, the city of Brookhaven, Farm Bureau, First South Farm Credit and Southern Ag Credit.
For more information, contact the Lincoln County Extension Office at 601-835-3460 or visit the Brookhaven Farmers Market Facebook page for weekly updates about what will be available.