Lafayette County Florida Farmers Market is still going strong so far. Yes, the county and UF Agriculture Extension Office has tried to sponsor these in the past but will a little persistence and support from local residents this type of event can continue for years to come. We finally were able to attend one this past weekend but couldn’t get there until around 10:30 or so. We missed out of one of the participants and there were not a lot of visitors right about then but we got to talk to the vendors, take a couple of pictures, bought a few things and will definitely go back again soon. We might even put up a tent ourselves and participate. Generally, this farmer’s market convenes on Friday afternoons but now that school is out and it is so darned hot they decided to move it to Saturday mornings for the summer months.
Recently, the coordinator was able to get the Board of County Commissioners to agree to allow handmade vendors to join in on the fun and not just local farmers and cottage industry bakers and soap makers. This could be a great opportunity for local handmade artists to display their wares at a weekly event that doesn’t cost them a fee to participate. The Veteran’s Park is an extremely shady place to sit and enjoy the views along busy Highway 27. You don’t even need a tent if you don’t have one just bring a couple of tables, your display equipment and set up a space. You will need to be able to make change as most people still pay for things at these type of events with cash. Although I did see 3 out of the 4 vendors displaying a sign stating that they accept credit cards. Personally, I think that is a much better way to go. This past weekend there was Shady Tree Farms with canned goods, homemade breads, homemade dog treats, and handmade wooden items for sale; the CNB Family Farm Goat’s Milk handmade soaps, candles, lotions and lip balms and more; Sadie Ruth’s Cookie Jar with homemade specialty cookies and cupcakes; Judy Warren who creates lovely quilts, baby bibs, and reversible cloth bags; and, finally, Chef Linae who we missed seeing by about 20 minutes who creates special cookies and granola bars with her mom. Sadly, there were no fruits or vegetable vendors at the market as I guess we are in between growing seasons.
Some pictures we took while visiting the market:
If you would like to participate at the next Farmer’s Market please go to the Lafayette County Florida Farmers Market Facebook Group Page to join, message the coordinator for an application and join them every Saturday morning and, hopefully, gain more customers in the area for your small business. Below is a listing of the types of vendors that they are currently looking to include each week and in the fall there will be more people participating as the new crops come in. In the mean time, gather some followers and sell some of your handcrafted items!
Types of Vendors the Farmer’s Market
- Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
- Plants & Trees
- Meats & Fish – including Jerky
- Canned Goods – Jams, Jellies, Pickles, etc.
- Baked Goods
- Homemade Candy
- Eggs & Cheese
- Honey
- Homemade Dog Treats
- Homemade Soap
- Quilts, Knitting & Crocheting items
- Handmade Jewelry
- Leather Goods & Blacksmithing
- Homemade Christmas Ornaments
- Pottery
- Woodworking items – Planter Boxes, Potato Storage Boxes, Birdhouses, Bird Feeders, Wooden Toys, Signs, Etc