Staff writer
Doyle Valley Farmers Market will open from 8 a.m. to noon in Santa Fe Park on May 25 as part of the Memorial Day weekend activities. Founders Gary and Marilyn Jones said the traditional holiday opening tends to be an active market day for the group.
“Usually, with all the visitors in town, we have a good buyer turn out,” Gary said. “The weather may change things this year as gardens are slow getting started with the late cold spell and late night freezes. But you never know how summer garden crops will pan out.”
Marilyn said cool weather vegetables will be available in varying amounts for the opening market.
“Everyone seems to have an abundance of asparagus,” she said. “And I have more eggs than we can use so we will have those available as well. However, the first market or two will probably be a bit limited. We won’t have sweet corn or tomatoes, but we certainly invited folks to check back with us later in the summer when those items hopefully will be in abundance.”
Anyone wishing to become a market vendor still has time to sign up and pay the annual dues. Vendors can contact Marilyn Jones at (620) 983-2815 to reserve a spot and get more information about becoming a member of market.
“We welcome local garden produce, home-baked breads, desserts, and pastries, as well as homemade soaps or candles,” Marilyn said. “And we have plenty of room for people to set up in the shade.”
The market is open every Saturday morning from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend.
Several times during the summer, the group will host special events such as a picnic using their homegrown products, a musical event, or a cook sharing recipes for garden produce.
“If anyone has an idea of a program that would share product or nutritional information or provide entertainment, we would be happy to know about it,” she said. “The whole idea of the farmers’ market is to share locally grown food, homemade products, and local color or culture.”
Doyle Valley Farmers’ Market has been active in Peabody for more than a decade.