Food and fun abound at the Woodstock Farmers Market
By YADIRA SANCHEZ OLSON
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Like an opening scene from a Disney movie where a small, picturesque village wakes up to sunshine, scents of fresh flowers and the bustling noises of the townsfolk walking by, the Woodstock Farmers Market seems to make the Woodstock Square come alive every Tuesday and Saturday.
Fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables are all things you can buy there, all while listening to live music and chatting with neighbors and vendors.
“I’ve lived in Woodstock my whole life and this is the best part,” Joey Gonzalez said while taking a recent stroll through the Farmers Market with his family.
Gonzalez says his family tries to come out to the market any chance they get because they enjoy the scenery and the variety the market provides.
Keith Johnson, marketing manager of the Woodstock Farmers Market, says that is the reason he thinks people enjoy the market – the variety and the uniqueness it provides.
“Authenticity is very important to us,” Johnson said.
With its strict rules on vendors being local and guidelines on what can and can’t be sold at the market (nothing can be resold), the Woodstock Farmers Market has gained a reputation of quality.
In the last five years, the market has grown in size to some 25 vendors on Tuesday and 40 on Saturdays. This provides the market’s customers with more of a variety on not just food items, but things like soaps, clothes, pet bandanas and candy, to name a few.
And last year, the market was voted the “Best Farmers Market” by the local harvest organization.
With this title and the growth, some significant changes have taken place. This year, for the first time, the market is incorporating a new feature that the vendors hope will help them reach a broader crowd.
The market can now sell to customers in SNAP, a program offered by the Food and Nutrition Service, which provides benefits to low-income families.
This is an addition to the market’s participation with the WIC program.
“This is important to us because it increases our sales and it allows people of low income to purchase healthy food for their meals,” Johnson said.
For information on the Woodstock Farmers Market, visit the Web site at www.woodstockfarmersmarket.org.
