It’s Farmer’s Market Time Again! Bath Farmer’s Market Opens Saturday June 4th

Hot Springs, VA – You know that summer has arrived when the farmers markets open. The opening Saturday of the 2011 Bath Farmers Market is just around the corner. Mary Hodges is co-manager of the Bath Farmers Market. She’s excited about the new vendors who will be participating this year.

“We will have some new jewelry makers, a glass maker, candles” says Hodges, “we have the soap that Jamie Letourneau was making for us last year. We have a fellow that’s making bird houses, and Mr. Puffenbarger who is a big hit with his barbeque is expanding his services and expanding other food products and hanging plants. As far as specialty produce, I know we’re going to have yellow pear tomatoes, we’re going to have stir fried greens, micro greens. We have a woman coming with herbs and herb products that she makes.”

Hodges is always willing to accept new vendor applications but she needs to know of a vendor’s interest ahead of time to be sure space is available. Not all vendors can be at the market every week and right now opening day is pretty full.

“If you’re providing food or fresh produce it has to be from your garden” says Hodges. “It needs to be from a garden that’s close by; we’ve sort of set a 100 mile radius for anyone that’s providing food products. We’re a little more lenient with artisan crafts and items like that, withing 100 miles is good, but we don’t have to hold to that as hard and fast as we do with the produce. We do want to assure to our customers that the produce is as fresh as it can possibly be.”

There will be live music on opening day and Hodges is working on lining up performers to provide music more often this year. And plans are underway to expand children’s activities at the market.

“It’s just very rewarding for me, it’s a passion that I have as far as fresh foods go and gardening” she says. “It’s a way to contribute to this community that I love and just seeing folks every Saturday because it’s becoming a real destination for the community. It’s just fun, you don’t know who you’re going to run into on a Saturday downtown.”

The Bath Farmers Market opens on Saturday June 4th. Hours are 9 to 1 every Saturday at the parking lot in downtown Hot Springs. The market is open until September 24.

“I just encourage everybody to come out and support the market” she says, “these vendors put a lot of hard work to plant their gardens early, plant produce that people are requesting and the best thing we can do is support them and have as many customers down there on any given Saturday as possible.”

For more information about the Bath Farmers Market, contact Mary Hodges at 540-839-2407.