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March 11, 2010
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News Banner year for farmers markets
The News & Record / December 31, 2009
Local farmers markets experienced a banner year in 2009 as the South Boston operation surpassed previous sales records and the Halifax market got off to a solid start.The South Boston Farmers Market sold 12,790 pounds of fresh vegetables, including almost 7,000 pounds of tomatoes. The list of fresh goods sold in South Boston market includes the following: n 1,237 pounds of squash n 1,123 pounds of green beans n 1,144 cantaloupes n 1,001 pounds of cucumbers Other sale volumes: 613 pounds of butter beans, 395 pounds of peppers, 332 pounds of new potatoes, 120 pounds of regular potatoes, 238 pounds of peaches, 104 pounds of zucchini, 363 watermelons and 604 dozen ears of corn. More than just vegetables and fruits moved at the farmers market. Also selling during the season were 1,219 baked goods, 25 handmade crafts, 10 bunches of cut flowers 26 dozen fresh eggs, 24 bunches of herbs, nine jars of pickles, 21 jars of jams, six jars of relish, seven canned goods and 20 drinks. “The Halifax Farmers Market Association had a very successful year, thanks to the direction of Ray Satterfield, the current president/manager as well as the very strong support from Destination Downtown South Boston and the Town of South Boston’s Director of Community Development, Tamyra Vest and Linda Wallace, the Halifax County Ag Director,” stated Bill McCaleb of the Virginia Cooperative Extension office. McCaleb also praised Halifax Town Manager Carl Espy for leading the effort to open the Halifax Farmers Market for the first time this year. McCaleb said Halifax County received a $10,000 grant from the UDSA that paid for a program to educate vendors on the best way to sell their goods at market; the grant also was used to cover advertising costs. The bulk of the money, he said, was spent to purchase a large commercial refrigerator at the South Boston site, which allowed vendors to keep products such as eggs, cheese and strawberries fresh and ready for sale. Officials will apply again for the grant in coming years as the farmers markets continue to grow, fueled by rising interest in locally-grown foods. McCaleb also pointed to the support that the market received from Stan Duffer with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. VDACS was instrumental in securing $12,000 for senior citizen food purchases from the Farmers Market Senior Nutrition Program, administered through the Virginia Agency on Aging. The money was used to furnish senior citizens with coupons they could use at the markets. The local operation had one of the highest redemption rates in the state, with 90 percent of the coupons — worth $10,800 — turned in by customers. “These coupons,” McCaleb said, “were valid only in July, August, September and October. But that gave seniors the opportunity to use them to purchase turnip greens and mustard greens throughout the fall.” The coupons can be used at any established market site in the state that has applied for participation in the program, McCaleb said. McCaleb also said much of the success of the markets can be attributed to the volunteer help provided by local Master Gardeners who helped out every weekend during the 2009 growing season. Additional help in providing education during the 2010 market season will be offered through the assistance of FNP Ann Carter-Carrington and the Master Food Volunteers, McCaleb said. Tell-a-Friend | Submit a Comment |
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Halifax County school class sizes slated to rise03/11/10 - 8:19 am
The Halifax County School Board agreed Monday to expand classroom sizes next year in tandem with new state rules that allow more students per classroom.
Halifax figures into NFL legend’s ancestry03/11/10 - 8:15 am
Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and 2006 Dancing with the Stars champion, visited Halifax County in April to retrace his family ancestry for an episode of a new NBC reality series airing this…
Agencies: Go easy on our budgets03/11/10 - 8:12 am
Eight individuals representing various local agencies and boards appeared before Halifax County Board of Supervisors on Monday evening to ask that their budgets not suffer drastic cuts in the wake of the economic downturn.
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