By Heather Killen

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

A group of local producers are hoping to start a Friday vibe in Middleton this summer.

Plans to start a Friday afternoon Farm Market in Middleton are already sizzling and soon to catch on, according to organizer Amy Skelton.

“I think it’s going to be a great Friday afternoon vibe,” said Skelton. “People will be getting off work and looking forward to the weekend. They can drop by the market on their way home and stock up a few things they’ll need.”

About 14 vendors have been meeting over the past month to finalize the policies and plans to hold the market on Friday afternoons from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. starting later this month.

The group decided that the Valley doesn’t need another Saturday morning farm market, and that Friday afternoons would be the next best time to catch people leaving work early.

Skelton said at the onset, she felt the market would need between 12 and 16 regular vendors the first season in order for the market to be viable.

“I’m really excited, we have 14 committed for the first season and we haven’t started yet,” she said. “There are another 10 to 12, who are interested in coming on a casual basis.”

She added that number is apt to grow once the markets are underway, and momentum builds. The committed vendors are offering a full range of products including coffee; breads and pastries; cheesecakes and savories; certified organic berries, fruit, vegetables and meats; seedlings, and perennials; as well as free range poultry, and eggs; goat cheese, as well as handmade wool and soaps.

The market is aimed at promoting producers in Kings, Annapolis and Digby counties; spanning from Wolfville to Digby, and spanning the shoreline communities in the Minas and Annapolis basins.

Skelton said she got the idea for the market last year when she was constantly challenged to supply her café with fresh local goods and produce.

“As gas prices continue to soar, I find I’m less able to rationalize driving all the way to Wolfville to buy fresh veggies,” she said. “So that’s when I decided to start something here.”

With commodity prices so low, and demand rising among consumers for healthier, locally produced goods, Skelton said there is great incentive for producers to bring their wares to local markets.

“People are conscious about reducing emissions, and many want to reduce their environmental footprints,” she said. “So they want to buy food that hasn’t been trucked in. This farmer’s market is a response to that demand.”

The market is being initially run as a non-profit society by a board of directors. If the market is viable enough, it may move towards a profit cooperative.

Table fees will be $20 for members, and $25 for casual vendors. An annual $20 membership fee will be charged to all regulars.

For more information on Middleton’s Farmers Market, contact Amy Skelton at 825-1732, or email amysfarm@gmail.com