Market Central’s Farmers Market at Ix, Hours: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Hello Market fans,
We look forward to seeing you between rainstorms on Saturday. Picking and digging vegetables will be a challenge this week. The heavy rains are tough on the strawberries! The farmers with greenhouses and high tunnels are grateful for the protection. Climate change resiliency is a concern around the country and in our community. If you are interested, Albemarle County and the City are hosting a series of Community Design Workshops to invite public participation in designing programs to respond to climate change impacts. There are two more workshops scheduled.
May 20: Yancey Community Center
May 29: Greenwood Community Center
The non-profit LEAP will be attending the market tomorrow to share advice on how to make your home climate resilient and energy efficient.
The full component of farmers and ranchers are attending this week, with the revolving array of artisans. The farms and prepared food vendors are steady at the market but several part time bakers, producers and artisans have variable schedules. We are working on inviting more participants that can take advantage of the fluctuating openings. The weather also influences attendance for vendors with products vulnerable to damage. If you remember Kossiwa of Solange Sewing, she returns with her beautiful sewing using African fabrics. The ever popular Mohammed with the Temalle Baskets makes a return. We introduced Milk Glass last year through Launch Pad, the Charlottesville Investment Collaborative business development program. CeeJay returns this week as a fully launched business. Look for new Launchpad entrepreneurs this season.
We are still awaiting for our federal grant funding problems to be resolved. USDA just opened applications to the same grant that we were awarded, so it seems they must fund the 2024 recipients before they award new 2025 applicants. You would think!
As always, your support of local food and businesses is what keeps this market going. In the name of resilience, if you are able and interested, help us find a home in Charlottesville for market that we can open more than one day a week. Talk to us at the Market Central management booth. We also accepting new board members to help with guiding local farmers markets for the future.
This week’s vendors can be found by opening the Market Date on the link below: