The Highland Farmers Market Has a New Manager

The Highland County Farmers Market has a new manager.  Rachel Hiner recently came to Highland and started work with the Farmers Market at the beginning of June.

“I really enjoy farmers markets and meeting people and knowing where my food comes from,” says Hiner.  “Right now, I’m a mom of two little kids, so I’m not looking for any kind of full-time work, and a part-time job is a good anchor, keeping us here in the country.”

Hiner is from Richmond, Virginia and she lived in California for 18 years and is currently living on the family farm in Mustoe.  She says she has a passion for locally grown food.

“I think it’s important to support local business and keep as many dollars in the county, rather than going out to California, as we can and also food that’s grown locally is healthier for you than food that’s been sitting on a truck for weeks,” says Hiner.  “I think with farmers markets the challenge is we need to have a lot of people coming to buy stuff in order to get market vendors, but you need to have vendors in order to get people to come.  So, I’m trying to find that balance of the right amount of vendors for the amount of people that come.”

Hiner moved to Highland from San Diego, California, where she owned an event business organizing 5k and half marathons.  That job involved working with different vendors for those events.

“We do have an arts and crafts market coming up on July 29, it’s called Handmade in Highland and we’re still looking for vendors for that,” says Hiner.   “If anybody wants to sell their crafts, get in touch with me.  I’m just trying to connect with local farms and see if there’s any other farmers out there who want to sell produce at the market.  I’d really like to find some local berries.”

The Highland County Farmers Market is held Friday afternoons from 3:30 to 6 at The Highland Center pavilion in Monterey.   The market runs until October 7.

“If you see me at the info booth, come say Hi,” says Hiner.

For more information, you can reach Rachel Hiner at farmersmarket@thehighlandcenter.org or through the Highland Farmers Market Facebook page.

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.

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