The Vaiden Farmers Market will open for the season at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The market will be set up at 504 Mulberry St., the location of the old Vaiden High School campus.
Jan Maddox, the market’s manager, said that customers can expect to see a preview of what local growers will have to offer throughout the summer. Since the weather has been a bit whacky for the past month, many farmers have had their growing schedules thrown off, said Maddox.
Maddox, who has two gardens and an orchard herself, hoped that fellow farmers had been able to bounce back after all the wind and rain. “The weather was so crazy, people were late getting their gardens in,” she said. She had also heard stories of destroyed bean crops after a bad storm a couple of weeks ago.
Nevertheless, the Farmers Market is still expecting to see some nice produce on Saturday. There should be some beautiful squash, cabbage and peppers for sale at the market’s opening, Maddox said. Watermelons, tomatoes and honey will likely be items sold a little later in the summer.
Vendors are also welcomed to bring various homemade items, including canned goods, in addition to in-season fruits and vegetables. Customers can even expect to see yard-sale items and arts and crafts. Any used clothing being sold must be in good condition.
Maddox said that being a vendor at the market is fairly easy. The primary requirement is that all produce be grown in the state of Mississippi. After that, there are a few rules concerning conduct—no profanity, alcohol or pets, to name a few.
Most of all, potential customers and vendors are encouraged to just come out and enjoy the harvests of rich Mississippi soil. The Farmer’s Market will provide tables for vendors to showcase their goods and the event will be held indoors. There will also be fans running to keep things cool, Maddox said.
The Farmer’s Market is expected to stay open through to September. If anyone would like to pre-register to become a vendor, they should contact Maddox at (662)229-1515. It costs $10 to register for the entire season or $5 per Saturday for those who are only looking to come one weekend. Vendors can also register on the day of. Anyone seeking to do this should arrive by 7:30.
