The Main Street Farmers Market in Batesville is held the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month in the Pocket Park on Main Street in Batesville’s historic downtown district and runs from 8am ’til noon. The Saturday, June 18th, market day will feature produce from 3 Naturally Certified local farms: Five Acre Farm and Price Farm both in Pleasant Plains, and Clark Farm in Bethesda. Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), “The Grassroots Alternative to Certified Organic”, is a US-based farm assurance program certifying produce, livestock and apiaries for organic producers who sell locally and directly to their customers. CNG was founded in 2002 by organic farmers Kate and Ron Khosla, as a simpler to administer and less expensive alternative to the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) certification, using a production standard based on the NOP. “The Main Street Farmers Market is so pleased to have these farmers sell at the market offering produce grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. It’s important for shoppers to know how their vegetables are produced and where they were grown, says Jean Larson, volunteer Market Manager.” The Main Street Farmers Market is a producer only market for vegetables which means all of the produce is grown by the farmers selling. The local farmers use innovative methods of growing including high tunnels and intensive mulching for earlier harvest of summer produce such as cucumbers and peppers.In addition to the 3 Naturally Certified Farms, farmers from Batesville, Cave City, Cushman and Salado will be selling at the market, most using sustainable practices as well.
One of the best aspects to purchasing locally grown produce is how fresh it is. Produce sold at the Main Street Farmers Market was picked the day before the market. The June 18th market will offer summer squash, blueberries, beets, cherry tomatoes and early tomatoes, lettuce, sweet peppers, cucumbers, new potatoes and fresh herbs along with honey and farm eggs from free ranging chickens.
The Main Street Farmers Market also offers a wide variety of baked goods. Downtown Pie Company, out of Newport, Arkansas, sells handmade dessert pies, savory pies, breads, Angel biscuits, raspberry jam and fresh herbs. Buns in the Oven sells whole wheat bread and rolls, cookies, and cinnamon buns. And Rural Goods will be at the June 18th market with their poplar lemonade, hand made foccacia bread, chocolate bark and flowers. The market also features many artists and craftspeople with artists demonstrating wood carving and jewelry making all market day. Hand crafted soaps, pottery, paintings, jewelry, handmade aprons, woodcrafted items, and much more can be found at the Main Street Farmers Market.
The Music at the Market Series will feature live music from the Batesville band, “Love Holler” on June 18th. Music starts around 9 am.
The Ozark Literacy Project will host a reading time for kids around 9:30am and will have tickets for their benefit concert on the night of June 18th on sale. Volunteers from the Humane Society of Independence County will be at the market offering to clip your doggie’s toenails and with unique items for your pets from the Bargain Hound Boutique. And stop by the Market Info table to see what seasonal foods local chefs are cooking.
Find the freshest and healthiest foods, support your local farmers and artisans, and enjoy good fun at the Main Street Farmers Market in Batesville. Check the Main Street Batesville Facebook page to find out more about what vegetables will be in season, cooking demos, and children’s activities at the upcoming Market.
For more information on Batesville’s Main Street Farmers Market or to receive a Vendor Application call Market Manager, Jean Larson, at 208-869-1445 or email at jeallo16@gmail.com.
