Farmers' Market Doing Well in Concord

It is the middle of summer and business at the farmers’ markets in Concord is pretty “excellent,” according to Wayne Hall, president of the Concord Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest markets in the state.

The Saturday market, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Capitol Street, is “booming,” he said, and populated with a good mix of vendors and customers. The Heights market, which started last year, and runs from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Steeplegate Mall, is off a bit this year though, with fewer vendors participating and customers attending, compared to last year.

“But it’s catching on,” Hall said. “It’s a little bit easier access, with better parking … we don’t have as many vendors but it’s still the same quality products that we have on Saturdays.”

The Market Basket stand off, Hall noted, had been helping business and a lot of people are realizing that the produce is fresher and customers can actually talk to the people who are growing their food. The supermarkets, he said, offer an acceptable product. But by the time a lot of produce gets to its location from across the country, it’s not always fresh, and isn’t always in the best condition.

Leandra Pritchard of Pritchard Farms in Pembroke participates in both days in Concord, as well as Derry and Tilton. It’s her and her soon-to-be husband’s first year in business after they bought Green Gold Farm recently. They both worked at a farm in Hooksett for a long time and decided to go out on their own. She said business was pretty good on Saturdays but the market on Thursday and in Tilton on Fridays was hit or miss. But they were happy to have places to sell their food, she noted.

The Concord Farmers’ Market now takes debit cards, credit cards, SNAP, and EBT cards, too. The process is pretty simple: People can buy tokens worth $1 to $5 and then use the tokens to purchase the food from the farmers. The farmers cash in their tokens later.

There is also a farmers’ market in Penacook, which runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Rolfe Homestead on Penacook Street in Penacook.

Hassan announces farmers’ market week

Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, will be at the Tilton Farmers’ Market to kick off Eat Local Month and the 15th Annual Farmers’ Market Week. She’ll be visiting the market from 2:40 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8.

There will also be a signing ceremony for the new Farm-to-Plate law that was passed in the 2014 legislative session. This law establishes state policy “to encourage and support local food producers, farming, and fisheries, including businesses engaged in agriculture, the raising and care of livestock, dairy, fishing, foraging, and aquaculture, agritourism, horticulture, orchard management, maple syrup production, and the associated local and regional businesses that process, purchase, distribute, and sell such food throughout the state.”

Sponsors state Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, state Rep. Tara Sad, and others plan to participate in the celebration and bill-signing ceremony.

The Tilton Farmers’ Market operates on the property of the Tanger Outlet Center, Route 3, Exit 20 off I-93.

The market hours are 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday, June 27, to Sept. 26.