BURLINGTON — The Boone County Farmers Market is on the grow.

        The market has moved to a larger location. It will be open longer hours for the growing number of farmer members and customers.

        Once open only on weekends in the parking lot of the county extension office, the market opened in late April in a paved lot between the Boone County Cooperative Extension Office and Burger King on Burlington Pike. It will now be open six days a week.

Gina Giancola of Rightway Nursery helps Robert Pearson of Florence select tomato plants at the Boone County Farmers Market. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        “We were really cramped for space,” said Jerry Brown, extension agent for agriculture.

        “There were a lot more customers than we had space for them to park.”

        The county paid $250,000 to pave the new facility and prepare it as the home for the farmers market.

        The market is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday until late November.

        “We expect five or six farmers during the week,” said Kim Kinman, county executive director for the Farm Service Agency and a farmer who sells at the market.

        On the weekends there will be 20 or more farmers selling, he said. “We started with five or six farmers just on Saturdays and everything was gone by noon.”

        “We're up to 33 members now,” he said.

        Mr. Brown said the market is popular for several reasons, including that only Boone County farmers can sell there and people want to support them.

        “Depending on your definition of farm, there are between four and 800 farms in Boone County,” Mr. Brown said. “The main thing that's really driving it is customer demand for fresh produce.”

        “People are really concerned with buying produce that they know where it's come from. The produce hasn't been on a train, airplane or a ship for several days.”

        The market sells a variety of annual and perennial flowers, shrubs and ornamental grass as well as corn, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, strawberries, beans and honey. Pumpkins, corn stalks and hay can also be purchased in the fall.

        Produce won't be drawing the customers for at least another month.

        “The vegetables are going to be late because of the rain,” Mr. Kinman said, adding that market is selling only strawberries, flowers and plants now.

        “The tomatoes and corn won't be in until the last week of June. There will be a limited supply until the middle or end of July.”

        Pricing is up to each farmer.

        “There are no set prices,” Mr. Kinman said. “If this rain continues and we don't get things planted, we could see a shortage. There's going to be a very limited supply in the beginning. Your cheaper prices are in August.”

        He said the prices do run about the same as in the grocery stores. “You get a better product for the same money.”

        He said the market is already doing better in its new location with just flowers.

        “On Mother's Day we did double of what we did last year as far as (number of) customers,” he said.

        Eventually buildings will be constructed on the property for meetings and demonstrations.

        “That's years down the road,” Mr. Brown said.

        Although the market is already open, a grand opening will take place June 2. There will be a demonstration; information on fruit, vegetables and flowers; and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mr. Brown said some type of educational demonstration will be offered one Saturday each month.
       

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