By Courtni Jackson
Raider Shakedown
Reporter
MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. – Local farmers and shoppers of Rutherford County gathered on Nov. 25 to
sell and shop for fresh seasonal produce from local farms at the Community
Center at Lane Agri-Park in Murfreesboro.
The
Rutherford County Farmers market extended its season this year to include every
Sunday in November and December until the Sunday before Christmas from 1 to 4
p.m. because of the market’s growing popularity.
“In
the slower months of September and October, we still see around 600 to 800
customers at the market each week," said market Manager Janie
Becker. "During our peak season in June and July, we can easily have
3,000 people coming to the market to shop. In 2012, this farmers market
brought approximately $290,000 in gross sales into our local agricultural
system.”
The
Rutherford County Farmers Market started in 1975 as a way to support farming
operations in Middle Tennessee, as well as provide the community with fresh produce
and other farm products. In addition to produce, the market also provides
shoppers with a sense of community.
“So often, folks are disconnected from
the origins of their food and the effort took to bring it to their table,"
said Becker. "Here, at the Rutherford County Farmers Market,
customers create one-on-one relationships with the farmers who grow, harvest,
and/or prepare the foods they sell.”
The
Rutherford County Farmers Market is a “producer only” market, which means that
local farmers grow, pick, and process the food themselves. Now farmer’s from more than 20 Middle
Tennessee Counties sell their seasonal fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, baked
and canned goods, flowers, and plants at the market.
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