Bluegrass Farmers Market

Opening day was a pleasant surprise! We actually had 8 farmers loaded with goodies! That's a bunch considering we are a homegrown/producer market only!

We had a few customers stop by looking for tomatoes and corn and we had to explain to them that they are not in season in Kentucky and unless they were grown in a greenhouse or hydroponically, you won't find any local tomatoes, green beans or corn at a local farmers market! Chances are they came from Texas or somewhere outside of the United States! Not exactly local, needless to say!

Which brings me back to bigger is not always better. Yes, there is a much bigger market in the same town and they do have some really great growers and producers. But, do you really know who they are and what they actually grow? Just because they have a sign up that tells you where they claim to farm, does not mean that they really grew the items available. Not knocking the other market because it is truly a neat place to visit but if you are seriously looking for local homegrown or produced products the Bluegrass Farmers' Market is the only one that can guarantee that's what you'll be getting!

We're small and we're 100% grown or produced by the farmer! We do not allow our members to subsidize their booth with out-of-season products to “hold them over” until their crops come in. It was a decision that we made when we organized our market because we knew that some folks really wanted to support local growers. Did it mean that we don't make quite as much money...YES! Because we don't have the extra added attractions like the out of season peppers, tomatoes and corn. Did it make us want to change our mind...NO! We felt that local supporters deserved to have a place to shop where they know that at each booth you'll find the real grower or producer. It wasn't a hard decision even though our pocketbooks might not be as full. We value our customers and our thoughts that a farmer should get his hands dirty in the soil and not at an auction handing over money to purchase items to resell.

So for us, YES, small is better when it comes to the choice between local homegrown and “it's a way to make money!” And, to those who truly support locally homegrown or produced items..we thank you.