Some Saturday shopping
On a brisk September morning on Courthouse Square, 10 colorful booths stood in the parking lot, each featuring homegrown fruits and vegetables.
Saturday’s Franklin Farmers Market offered a variety in terms of fresh produce, baked goods and mums.
The market also comes to the square on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
Among the rows of tomatoes and cucumbers stood proud growers, inviting customers in for a closer look and chatting about the
"I come for the wide variety of produce, the reasonable prices and to support the local farmers," said Nyla Hilt, 57, of Franklin.
Dorothy Voorhies, 82, of Franklin said, "I came to get the fresh veggies and be with my daughter, who manages the market."
Local vendors filled the square for a variety of reasons.
Franklin resident Betty Gomez, 54, said she sells baked goods to help St. Andrew’s Church, located on Main Street.
"All of our baked goods are home baked either last night or this morning," said Gomez. "We’re trying to raise money to make our church handicap-accessible."
Billy Stout, 81, of Morgantown said he’s been farming for over 50 years but continues to participate in the market because he enjoys it.
"I used to bring big truckloads to the Southside Market [which closed down], but now it’s more of a hobby," he said.
Trafalgar resident Bill Ray, 78, said he uses farming as a second source of income to help out his family.
"I have a painting business and we started farming about four years ago to pay the grandsons who are in college extra good pay," he said.
A sense of community is a common theme of the Farmer’s Market.
Gomez said she comes out to meet the community, while others like 34-year-old Carri Guyer said it brings them back to their childhood.
"I used to do this when I was 10 or 11 years old, and I normally bring my kids out to help so that they can meet the community and show them that hard work pays off," said Guyer, of Trafalgar.
