[Durham INC] Durham Roots Farmer's Market at Northgate

[Will Wilson]

Please let your neighborhoods know about the Durham Roots Farmer's 
Market at Northgate, opening Saturday, April 16. It runs every Saturday 
from 8am to noon. This market is brought to you by Durham County's 
Farmland Preservation Board (the farm board) because preserving Durham 
County's farms (for all of their benefits) means we need to provide more 
opportunities for Durham County farmers and horticulturalists to sell 
their products.

Our focus is on Durham County agricultural producers, and we heartily 
welcome small and beginning farmers, as well as church and community 
gardens. We're also hoping for a permanent presence by Durham Public 
Schools through Northern High School's culinary arts program as well as 
the various agricultural programs that encourage our next generation of 
Durham County producers. Emphasizing this agricultural focus, we won't 
have arts and crafts or food trucks.

We'll have a steady supply of plants, dairy and meat products. Plants 
vendors include Architectural Trees, with a variety of landscaping 
plants, and vegetable starts from Horticultural Services of Durham 
Orange. Meats, eggs, and cheeses will come from Bull City Farm, Green 
Button Farm, and Prodigal Farm. We'll also have yogurt from Carolina 
Farmhouse Dairy. If the weather cooperates in the next few weeks, we'll 
have produce from Dandies Farm. As the summer progresses and different 
crops come in we'll have lettuce and blueberries and tomatoes and corn.

Please come out, and come out early to buy up everything! We have a 
classic case of the chicken or the egg. Some of our county's smallest, 
beginning farmers aren't sure where they'll sell their products, so 
they're hesitant to take the risk of planting a crop.  Potential vendors 
take their cue from a consistent turnout of buyers at the market, even 
when it sells out early, and that turnout will convince farmers to plant 
more crops, like a field of sweet corn, knowing that buyers await their 
products.

Times are always tough for new farmers, but we're hoping our market 
helps make selling products easier, and brings neighbors together for a 
helping hand. We welcome all of Durham's producers, including community 
and church gardens. There are, of course, a few requirements concerning 
insurance, membership, and a site visit that verifies you're selling 
things you've produced in Durham County, but we're happy to help guide 
you through those needs. Email me at willwilsn at gmail.com.

Let me also put in a hearty thanks to the folks at Northgate Mall! Ginny 
Bowman and Brian Wilkerson have been wonderful, generous, and committed 
partners in helping this market get started. You, too, can help support 
the market financially through a community membership, which commits you 
to volunteer with setup, sales, and cleanup. Either email me or our 
Market Manager Kaylee Sciacca at durhamrootsfm at gmail.com.

We'll post vendor updates and weekly offerings to Facebook (like us!) 
and our website.

Facebook: Durham Roots Farmer's Market
https://www.facebook.com/Durham-Roots-Farmers-Market-110959409298779
Website: durhamroots.org

Thanks,
Will Wilson