FARMERS MARKETS STILL OPERATING
 By Kevin Starr

Lovers of fresh, local produce still have time to visit our farmers markets.

The Denver location at Rock Springs School will continue to open each Saturday morning through October 25. It will then close until November 22 when it will open for one day only for a special holiday market. We hope that a lot of our craft vendors will be back that day and will provide some good shopping for folks looking for unique Christmas presents. Naturally, there will be late vegetables that you can purchase for your Thanksgiving meal the following week.

On October 11, the Lincolnton market will switch to a Saturday only schedule that will continue through November 22. There will be a holiday market on that day and then the market will close for the season.

I stopped by the Lincolnton market on Saturday and saw a good supply of late vegetables including sweet potatoes, greens, and turnips. One emphasis of the local foods movement is eating seasonally. The summer vegetables have been great and still available for a little while longer. But I enjoy the new tastes that autumn brings with it.

We’ll provide you with more information on the special holiday markets as that date draws near. But for now, I want to encourage you to get out and support your local farmers market.

For more information, contact the Cooperative Extension Service in Lincoln County at 704-736-8452.