A Farmer’s Perspective at the Belton Farmers Market

Published on June 30, 2021

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The Belton Farmers Market kicked off earlier this month. Over the past couple of weeks, a variety of vendors, all offering something special and unique have attended the market. Each vendor’s products are homegrown, homemade, or home baked.

 

“Our goal is to make the Farmers Market an event for the shoppers and vendors, so they are not just sitting under a tent,” says Vanda Meehan, Belton Parks and Recreation assistant park director. “We want friends and families to come to shop, eat, enjoy entertainment, and have a good time.”

 

Belton Parks and Recreation is now managing the Farmers Market, and they are looking to try new things. To create an event atmosphere, volunteers from the Lions Club have begun playing a variety of music and offering fresh grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. This upbeat and lively environment encourages shoppers to grab a bite, shop around, and enjoy.

 

Meehan is collaborating with the vendors to get feedback on how the market can improve. In the future, as a way to draw people in, they plan to host a raffle for baskets with products from venders.

 

“I have been a vendor at the Belton Farmers Market for over 10 years,” says Janice Fogle, baker and owner with her family of Rock the House Bakery. “My favorite part is seeing repeat customers every year.”

 

Fogle and her son, Jay, get up before the sun every morning to make fresh bread from scratch in their state-of-the-art kitchen at their dairy farm. While they are baking the rest of the family is milking the dairy cows. They bake custom flavors of bread like jalapeno cheese, garlic cheese, dill, and more. In addition to the bread, they also bake and sell cinnamon rolls.

 

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Williams Honey Products sells a variety of honey products, pork, hand soaps, and lotions. Their honey cream is special. It stays refrigerated and has the consistency of peanut butter with the sweet taste of honey. And who doesn’t love a good honey stick? They make 16 different flavors. Their delicious honey comes from the 19 hives they keep, with each hive housing 30,000-80,000 bees. 

 

“Keeping up with 19 beehives can be a real stinger,” jokes Bob Williams, owner of Williams Honey Products. “It’s pretty easy, you just have to keep up with it. Did you know that one bee only makes a half teaspoon of honey in their entire lifetime?”

 

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There are multiple first-time vendors involved in this year’s Farmers Market. Farmers markets are a great place for vendors to start selling their products. The weekly participation fee is $5, an investment in a vendor’s business which could lead to hundreds of dollars in sales.

 

French Farms, a fresh produce vendor, has been in business since 1988. Farmer Larry Franks has been a vendor at the Belton Farmers Market for 15 years. He grows and sells tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, berries, peppers – a wide variety of produce options.

 

“My best advice for picking the best produce is talk to the vendor,” says Franks. “If you want cheaper produce, I can help you. If you want top-end produce, I can help you with that too.”

 

Franks joins other returning vendors who enjoy having a set, reserved spot at the Farmers Market and who look forward to this year being a success.

 

Many of these vendors are your neighbors. When you shop at the Farmers Market, you are supporting your neighbors and their passions. Long hours of work go into making fresh, unique, and special produce, food, and non-food products for you to purchase. 

 

The Belton Farmers Market is held Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October in the parking lot at Memorial Park.

 

The Belton Farmers Market Facebook page is a great resource if you want to become a vendor, see pictures from previous events, or ask questions.

 

See you at the Belton Farmers Market!

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