Charlotte Farmers Market
It is time to buy vegetables for the week and having spent six months in Charlotte without taking the time to make the drive, we decided to check out the Charlotte Farmers Market. The Charlotte Farmers Market is one of five farmers markets owned by the State of North Carlina. It is operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The market is housed in a large steel building with ample ventilation of plenty of space for vendors. There were maybe 15 different vendors on the Thursday that we went. There were not a large number of customers there and it was easy to wander around the space without feeling crowded or rushed. I expect that the Charlotte Farmers Market attracts both a larger number of vendors and customers on the weekends.
Even though the number of vendors was somewhat limited, the selection of produce was excellent. We saw regular and heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, onions, apples, peaches, peppers, grapes, strawberries, squash, pumpkins, beans, asparagus, egg plant, various herbs, cantaloupes, watermelons, mushrooms, and many other items. There were also vendors selling canned jellies, chow chow, and honey. A stand was setup to sell fresh cut flowers. Another stand sold knitted blankets and accessories. A man was even selling his locally raised and cured bacon.
Most items were priced well below grocery store prices. The vendors compete with one another for business both on price and quality. It is common to see variations in price of ten to twenty percent on some common goods such as tomatoes.
The Charlotte Farmers Market is not the only Farmers Market in the area as I know of at least one more: The Matthews Community Farmers Market. I find that The Matthews Market has less produce available and generally has higher prices. Both are worth checking out, but the Charlotte Farmers Market is clearly a fine source for fresh economical produce.
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