Meade County Farmers’ Market opens June 3 By KAREN KENNEDY The Meade County Farmers’ Market returns this weekend for the sixth year in a row. Once again, the market will be set up in the parking lot of Glad Tidings Christian Church on Bypass Road in Brandenburg, directly across the street from McDonald’s and Kroger and next door to Brandenburg Pharmacy Care. The market will officially open on Saturday, June 3, with the hours of 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and will also begin its Tuesday hours on June 13. Tuesday hours will be 2 to 5:30 p.m. and will run until about Labor Day. The market will remain open on Saturdays through the end of October or beginning of November. Once again this year, the market will accept EBT cards (food stamps) for food purchases. The market encourages anyone with an EBT card to take advantage of the locally grown, fresh produce. A Meade County Farmers Market Festival is planned for July 1, with more details to be made available at a later time. At the market once again this year are Kathy and Ralph Packard of Misty Meadows Farm in Payneville. The Packards will offer customers a variety of meats, including free range beef, free range pork, and chicken (later on in the season), as well as free range eggs. Vegetables and fruits will include green beans, several varieties of lettuce, corn, potatoes, peaches, green onions, garlic, a wide variety of tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumbers, various summer and winter squashes, kale, collards, swiss chard, beets, greens, onions, and much more. Also returning to the market for the second year in a row are Katie and Hannah Thomas of Thomas Farms in Elizabethtown, who will be selling a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, jellies, jams, honey, and flowers. Look for raspberries (yellow, red, and black), wild and tame blackberries, half runner and tenderette green beans, white corn, carrots (orange, purple, and yellow), seven varieties of potatoes (red and blue), peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Breads will be zucchini, sweet potato, peach, and blueberry. Jellies and jams will be offered in the following flavors: peach, blackberry, cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. Cut flowers will include sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, lilies, and mixed bouquets. New to the market are Mary and Edd Pike of Pike Family Vegetable Farm in Payneville, who will be selling various vegetables and fruits along with their sons and families. They will be growing a wide variety of squash, including flying saucer, golden scallop, yellow, spaghetti, and zucchini. Other vegetables include bi-colored corn, green beans, tomatoes, red and yellow grape tomatoes, cabbage, green onions, potatoes, okra, cucumbers, and beets as well as a selection of herbs. Fruits this year will be cantaloupes and watermelon. In the fall, they’ll bring their farm-grown pumpkins and gourds to market. The market has changed its policy this year to allow all Kentucky farmers to come and sell after furnishing all eligibility requirements for the farmers’ market. Participating farmers must grow the majority of their own produce and nothing grown outside of Kentucky (with the exception of Harrison County, Indiana) can be resold at the market. The farmers’ market will periodically advertise in the Meade County Messenger and WMMG radio station. Kathy Packard is the market manager and can be reached at (270) 496-4218 or (270) 863-1538 for any questions.
|
