If you haven’t caught on to the awesomeness that is the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market, you fail. It’s OK though, there’s hope for you yet. The market’s 35th season is just getting started, so you’ve got plenty of time to experience the joy of coming to know and support your local growers. You can take care of your local shopping list Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings on the square, and Thursday evenings on the corner of 6th Street and S. School (Bus. Hwy. 71).
Over the course of this year’s growing season, I’ll be doing brief profiles on vendors at the market to give Flyer readers a glimpse into the lives of the market’s vendors. Of course, the best way to learn about these folks is to go to the market and talk to them yourself.
When I first got in touch with Farmer’s Market manager James Phillips about interviewing vendors, he sent me straight to Sara Pollard. Sara is a Farmer’s Market veteran. She’s been selling there for 24 years, serving as manager for 10 years. These days, she’s still going strong, selling an array of herbs, flowers, and produce out of the bed of her truck at all four weekly Fayetteville farmer’s markets.
Sara’s farm, Mountain Greenery, is located in Winslow, in the heart of the Boston Mountains. Having grown up on a farm, Sara is no stranger to seeds and soil. With a degree in Agronomy and Horticulture, and a lifetime of experience, she’s a great resource for anyone with questions about growing practically anything.
At this time of year, Sara is selling a wide variety of potted culinary herbs (Flyer Foodie fans take note!), as well as perennial wild flowers. Come June, she’ll offer an array of vegetables like green beans, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, purple hull peas, okra, and the somewhat exotic looking Asian cucumber.
As a long-time seller, Sara is fully tuned in to the dynamics of the market as a whole. She and many other vendors are making an effort this season to increase weekday market attendance by offering discounts on products at the Tuesday and Thursday markets. The market will also have weekly drawings for gift certificates to be used at the weekday markets.
In her 24 years, Sara has no doubt seen many changes in Fayetteville and the farmer’s market. She commented that while many people tend to think “kids these days” don’t care whether or not their vegetables are local and organic, she’s seen more and more college-age people buying food at the market. She believes that for young Fayettevillians, healthy eating is becoming more of a priority.
What about y’all? Do you care where your veggies come from? Do you shop at the Farmers’ Market? If you do, go check out the Mountain Greenery stand, and learn a thing or two from Sara Pollard.
Photos by: M. Taylor Long
