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Little Elm to welcome first farmers market in May
Courtesy of Little Elm Farmers’ Market – Pictured is an artist’s preliminary rendering of what the Little Elm Farmer’s Market pavilion could look like at its permanent home in Beard Park, which will be completed in 2014. This drawing is purely conceptual and will likely change before plans are finalized.
By Emily Hill, ehill@starlocalnews.com, @eh_scnnews on Twitter
Local growers unite – Little Elm will be opening its first farmers market this May.
“We’re looking for the best Texas growers and producers of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains, as well as food specialty products like jams, jellies, spices, condiments, cheeses, eggs, honey and meats,” said Wayne Dewey, Little Elm Farmers’ Market manager, in a release.
Applications are now being accepted for the farmers market’s first year, which will open May 11. The market will be open 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday until Oct. 19 at a temporary location in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby in Little Elm Towne Crossing, 2700 Eldorado Parkway. The market will move to its permanent home at Beard Park in 2014 when the park reopens after renovation.
Dewey, who started a farmers market in California, said there is a high demand for a farmers market within the town. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the nation as of 2012 is almost 8,000, a 9.6 percent increase from 2011.
“The number of farmers markets countrywide [is] growing at a rapid pace,” he said. “We want to bring it here and create a family-friendly event.”
Funded by a grant from the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service, the non-profit farmers market will allow vendors who participate to be a little more profitable than at other farmers markets.
“Most farmers markets charge a lot of fees for booths and applications. While built into our system, for the first year or so we’ll be able to waive those fees,” Dewey said. “We want to make it so [vendors] can come in and have a real opportunity to sell their product at minimum expense.”
The farmers market is also searching for local entertainers, artists, crafters and cooking demonstrators to offer variety every week. Until the May opening, Little Elm residents have had to travel to Frisco, Coppell or even as far as McKinney to attend a farmers market.
“You really need something local to make it practical for people to come week after week,” Dewey said. “We want them to be able to stop by wherever they’re headed to on their Saturday morning.”
Dewey said a vast majority of the produce to be sold at the market will be organic and local, unlike some stores where produce can come from as far away as Chile.
“The money that [consumers] are paying is going directly to the farmer,” he said. “They get a chance to actually meet the person that grows the food. It’s a much better way to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Most nutritionists will tell you the fresher, the better.”
Eventually, Dewey hopes to expand the farmers market to more than one day. Like many farmers markets, it will remain open whether it rains or shines, but it will be prepared for inclement weather, he added.
Those interested in the farmers market can find information at littleelm.org by clicking the “Farmers’ Market” icon at the bottom of the home page or on Facebook under “Little Elm Farmers’ Market.” Vendor packets can be obtained by email at farmersmarket@littleelm.org. For questions, contact Dewey at 972-731-3299.
“We just hope to see everybody out there and hope that they’ll support it,” Dewey said.
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