Credit Steven Mantilla

 

 

By: Tara Bozick | GoDanRiver
Published: May 06, 2012 Updated: May 06, 2012 - 8:49 PM

 

Hundreds of people crowded this year’s opening of the Danville Farmers Market on Saturday morning.

The market — which features local produce, meats, eggs, pastries, cheese, wine, potted plants, crafts and an assortment of other goods — on average has 55 vendors and 700 customers on Saturdays, said Jacob McCann, program director with Danville Parks and Recreation.

Regular vendors come from five counties: Pittsylvania and Halifax and Caswell, Person and Rockingham counties in North Carolina.

Forty North of Semora, N.C., is one of the new vendors in Danville this year. The farm typically sells naturally grown produce, duck and chicken eggs and pastured meat in Durham and Carrboro, N.C., but owner Keenan McDonald’s Danville ophthalmologist convinced her to sell here. Several Danville customers thanked her as they said they often have to go out of town for organic food.

About 1,000 shoppers will come on the first day of the year and the first 800 shoppers at the Community Market on Saturday received free tomato plants.

Donna Allen of Danville will put her tomato plant on the patio with her basil and oregano. Since she’s been living here the past seven years, she’s seen the market evolve with a huge variety of products. She likes seeing what’s new but mainly comes to support local farmers and visit with other regular shoppers.

“I spend more time in here than I do in the grocery store,” Allen said.

The farmers market is open from 7:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday. In July and August, the market will also open on Wednesdays.

By the numbers

Danville Farmers Market

55 vendors on average Saturday

700 shoppers on average Saturday

Open 35 days this year

Runs 4.5 hours on Saturdays

Regular vendors from 5 counties

(Source: Jacob McCann, market manager)