06/05/2026
We open tomorrow! In the meantime, let's talk about local produce, why we wait until June to open, and why our market is smaller than most. Why do we visit every farm, every year before the farmers market opens? There's 4 reasons:
1. It's actually the admin's job to help every farmer in Chesapeake, so the pre-market visits are a great way to learn about problems they're facing.
2. This is a great method of hyping up and promoting the market.
3. It's important to educate people on where their food comes from.
4. We believe we're the only farmers market in the region that CAN do this. Admin has at least 50 Chesapeake farm visits annually, and most market managers do not have this type of close working relationship with the farming community. We also put a low cap on the number of vendors because we seek to ensure that at least 50% of our vendors are growers. They meet this requirement by growing at least 60% of what bring for sale. This requirement can include meat, live and dehydrated herbs, flowers, eggs, honey, fruit, nuts, seeds, live plants, and vegetables. The farmer is free to decide what to sell for the other 40%, as long as their products comply with all VDACS requirements. We're unaware of any other local markets that have this requirement, and while other markets serve their purpose and are good for their communities, we believe that shopping with us is the most effective way to support local farmers.
This is also why we wait until June to open. In Virginia, the only real produce available in March, April, and early May includes berries, greens, bulb/tuber/root vegetables, herbs, and asparagus. The fast growing cucurbit crops (cucumbers and summer squash) can start being available mid-May, depending on how early it was planted. Most of what we classically associate with farmers market stands is ready for harvest in stages throughout June and July. Succession sowing and planting indeterminate varieties will allow farmers to continue these harvests for a longer period of time.
Now that the lessons and market background are out of the way, here's our Saturday lineup for the season:
1. White Clover Farms
2. Live Love Bake
3. Our Big Little Gardens/ Farms Homestead
4. BrownTown Organics
5. Stacey Garrett Blooms
6. Ray's Produce
7. Four Sparks Bakery
8. Spence Farms Cart
9. BB’s Q and Provisions
10. Doce' Beans
11. Love What You Juice
Four Sparks Bakery and Shillelagh Farms Homestead will be absent for the first market. We are also talking to a food truck about joining us on Saturdays; if they say no, then we'll move on to a different truck.
We'll also be joined tomorrow by Chesapeake Master Gardeners to answer your tough gardening questions, and by Kiwanis Club of Chesapeake for their book giveaway.
See you tomorrow 8AM-noon!
