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The Tappahannock Main Street Program, the Town of Tappahannock and Essex County have planned a series of monthly Farmers’ Markets to be located in historic downtown Tappahannock. The markets will be held from 9-1 pm on the third Saturday of each month starting April and running through November (but not June as this is RivahFest). The market is located on Cross Street, on Fountain Green, and the Courthouse Green, in the center of Tappahannock, one block from the intersection of Route 17 and 360.
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Tappahannock, VA, August 8, 2011 --
Tappahannock Farmers’ Market will be back in town on Saturday, August 20, from 9:00 till 1:00. August is peak season for the bounty of the land and the center of town will be filled with all sorts of wonderful offerings to make it possible to “Eat Local.” Throughout Virginia, farmers’ markets are now in full swing and vendors are seeing ‘unprecedented demand’ for local foods.
The flavors of Summer can be found in the vegetables and fruits, bushels of corn and ripe red strawberries, seafood, dairy produce, plants, and flowers. Tappahannock Farmers’ Market brings together over 20 fresh produce vendors on Cross Street selling from the back of their trucks and vans, and currently by far the largest and most varied market in the region. Fountain Green and Courthouse Green are both home over 60 booth spaces reserved for crafters and non-profit local organizations.
“Produce is running two to three weeks ahead of the normal season this year” said Glenn Morse of Morse Family farms, a regular market vendor in booth #23. “Although we have had 17 inches of rain in the last 6 weeks and had some crops damaged, the August market will be plentiful with the Summer offerings of tomatoes, water melons, cantaloupe, green zucchini squash, yellow and white patty pan squash, sweet corn, green beans, onions of all colors, butter and lima beans, peppers and cherry tomatoes. We’ve had just enough rain and heat to make it quite a season!”
But it’s not just farmers that will be on hand - musicians, artists, crafters, and wineries will also be represented, as will non-profit organizations that quietly, but effectively support our town community. Joey Burrough, local self-taught artist raised on the banks of the Rappahannock and now living and working in Historical Richmond will be the featured artist – his painting feature plein-air (on-site) oil paintings of Virginia and North Carolina, as well as the Wyoming Tetons and the Outer Banks. Charles Howell of the High Street Low Life from Petersburg will be the featured musician and the duo of Belle Mount and Vault Fields will be the featured wineries on hand this month for the monthly wine tasting in the delightful shade of the Ritchie House garden.
The Tappahannock Main Street Project inaugurated the market in 2010 as part of its ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown and the market continues to grow in size and diversity from the original Fountain Green and Cross Street to now include the Courthouse Green, with over 80 booth spaces reserved for vendors, produce mainly on Cross Street selling directly from the van, and crafters on the Fountain and Courthouse Greens.
"We are striving to make this a community market," said Lindsey Atkinson, market manager, adding that several of her new crafts vendors are trying the farmers’ market for the first time and are delighted to find a low cost outlet for their products. “We are really blessed by having the full support of EVB staff who have volunteered their Saturdays to take charge of the Welcome Tent and be on hand in the early hours of the morning to help vendors locate their booths and during the market to help visitors with a whole range of information and directions – EVB have been totally behind the market initiative from day one to bring healthier lifestyle choices to our community”.
"There's something about the first fruits of the season," Beverly Brown said recently as she stood by her strawberries and blackberries from Westmoreland Berry Farm at the Tappahannock Market. "It just makes you smile. Every time you take a bite out of one our peaches, you imagine you are taking a bite of Virginia sunshine!". This month Westmoreland Berry Farm will be loaded with delicious peaches, blackberries and raspberries.
A monthly festival of riches by whatever name, the Mid-Summer Tappahannock Farmers’ Market has become “The Place to Be” on the third Saturday of each month through October. Check www.tappahannockmarket.com for market details and nearer the date you can pull up a list of August vendors with booth numbers on the web site. For vendors needing space, contact Lindsey Atkinson, market manager at 804-445-2067 or email manager@tappahannockmarket.com See you there!
Photo caption: Catherine Emery of Mount Airy Gardens in Richmond County brings naturally grown heirloom produce, vegetables, flowers and herbs to the market every third Saturday to the Tappahannock Farmers’ market on Cross Street.
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