Farmers gear up for new year of markets
Several farmers markets, including the one at the Lee Branch shopping center, will be available to customers this summer, offering a variety of produce and crafts.
MEET THE VENDORS
Regulars at local farmers markets will recognize familiar faces, as many of the same farms return each year.
The Marketplace at Lee Branch opened in 2016, and among its returning vendors are Southern Oaks Farm of Trussville and Southern Organics in Columbiana.
Southern Organics started after Kyle Rabun’s father was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, when the family wanted to create organic food using aquaponics.
Aquaponics is a process in which food is grown without soil, being placed directly into water that, in the case of Southern Organics, is filtered from the farm’s fish tanks, Rabun said. Water undergoes six to seven filtration systems before being used to grow produce, and nutrients come from the water.
The result is leafy greens and herbs that last several weeks, longer than the average shelf life of store-bought produce, Rabun said.
The farm has also started producing mushrooms and turmeric, Rabun said, and is working on expanding their product.
In 2005, Randy Melvin and his wife, Karen, retired from a business career, during which they owned their own business and worked in the cable industry.
The Trussville natives decided to go in another direction in their retirement, Karen Melvin said. Soon after retirement, they started Southern Oaks Farm, one of the few farms in the area.
The couple has four other people who work with them and the family farm produces plenty of vegetables, including romaine lettuce and broccoli, their most popular product, Karen Melvin said. They’ve recently added meat, eggs and strawberries.
The biggest challenge for the farmers is the weather, Karen Melvin said. Last year, the Melvins lost a lot of lettuce and the weather can cause them to be late in getting started with their work. Still, Karen Melvin said, the work is worth it.
The couple has scaled back their involvement in area farmers markets but is returning to The Marketplace at Lee Branch, Karen Melvin said.
“We enjoy meeting people at the markets,” Karen Melvin said. “... It’s a lot of work,but it’s fun.”
THE MARKETPLACE AT LEE BRANCH
Betz said this year’s market will open May 4 with a strawberry festival, which will feature not only plenty of strawberries but also recipes, culinary classes and other features. The festival will benefit the family of fallen Birmingham police officer Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who was killed in the line of duty Jan. 13.
The market will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays next to Baumhower’s Victory Grille at the Lee Branch shopping center. The last day will be Sept. 28.
Normally, the market has about 50 to 60 vendors, Betz said. Live music, food trucks and a “festival-like” atmosphere will again be at the market, Betz said.
This year, there will be an online ordering system, Betz said. Customers can place their order Sunday through Thursday at themarketplaceatleebranch.com and pick it up at the market.
CHELSEA FARMERS MARKET
The Chelsea Farmers Market will run from the end of May to the end of August and will be open on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. in front of Chelsea City Hall in the grassy area, according to event organizers.
The market features 18 to 20 vendors and features products from the farm, including honey, crafts, flowers and candles.
More specific dates will be available online at a later date.
VALLEYDALE FARMERS MARKET
The Valleydale Farmers Market runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day and will be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, organizer Felder Davis said.
Davis said he hopes to have meat again this year, and the market will also include artists and jewelers, as well as hairbows, baked goods and jellies and possibly soap.
The market is located at 4601 Valleydale Road, in the parking lot of Faith Presbyterian Church.
MT LAUREL MARKET AND CRAFT FAIR
Vendors will once again line the streets of Mt Laurel’s town center this year. The annual market brings in about 20 farmers and craft vendors, who offer local produce, goat cheese, honey and handmade items. The market runs from June 2 to Oct. 6.
The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon at Manning Place in Mt Laurel’s town center.