The Friendly Market

The Friendly Market, located in rural Carteret County, N.C., is a multi-faceted specialty marketplace emphasizing fresh, local, seasonal produce, foods and plants. The Market began in 2008 with a vision aimed at utilizing 5 ½ acres of unimproved family owned land at the corner of Friendly Road and Bridges Street Extension, Morehead City, N.C. This particular area is a highly visible and convenient location that we saw as a perfect site for several area produce farmers, plant growers, fishermen, and craftsmen to come together in a central venue. Our goal was to establish a market place that could bring these producers and the community together in a mutually beneficial manner, with the following purposes in mind: 1) to raise community awareness of the then little-known opportunities to shop for fresh, local, seasonal produce; 2) to emphasize the health and economic benefits of supporting our local producers; 3) to incorporate the locally grown, seasonal produce offered at our market into prepared dishes and baked goods for customers convenience, and 4) to hopefully help mitigate the economic hardship experienced by local producers and consumers alike by offering a direct shopping experience. We began as an open air market with vendors offering their products under individual tents, one day per week in the summer months when our county is frequented by tourists. We very soon enjoyed consistent business and were able to construct the Friendly Market Kitchen where we incorporated our local farmers produce into casseroles, pies, and breads. As time passed, continued and increased demand has shaped The Friendly Market into a thriving business that operates seven days per week on a new year around basis.