Crozet Farmers Market Opens Saturday, May 2

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Al Minutolo, Crozet Farmers Market Manager
Al Minutolo, Crozet Farmers Market Manager

The Crozet Farmers Market will open on Saturday, May 2, in the parking lot of the Crozet United Methodist Church (CUMC) on Crozet Avenue. Market hours are 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday from May 2 to mid-October. Reminders have been mailed to past vendors; if you are a new vendor, please contact the market manager, Al Minutolo, 434-823-1092 prior to April 18 to discuss your product, space availability and market rules.

The Crozet Market is a growers/producers market, providing vendors the opportunity to sell their locally grown produce, homemade baked goods and handcrafted items to the public. The market has been very successful. In 2014, $750 from vendor fees was returned to the community through a donation to the CUMC food pantry. The pantry is a USDA-approved facility that serves 120-170 families monthly, feeding as many as 300 people, including more than 100 children. The average monthly food distribution is 3 to 4 tons. Cash donations are important to the food pantry and are a significant multiplier for the purchase of food locally at the central food bank. Although food costs vary, $1 will often purchase 8-12 pounds of food.

The market offers a variety of locally grown vegetables, bedding plants, vegetable starts, cut flowers, homemade baked goods, handcrafted jewelry, wood-craft and pottery.

Another popular feature is the Horticulture Help Desk, staffed by volunteer Piedmont Master Gardeners every second and fourth Saturday of the market season. The HHD staff is available to answer questions about horticultural practices re: plants, pest control, and plant diseases, with an interest in safeguarding against adverse effects to the consumer and the environment. Residents can bring samples of pests or problem plants; HHD volunteers can access the resources of Virginia Cooperative Extension locally and at Virginia Tech, to answer questions.

Visit the market in the CUMC parking lot and welcome another productive season!

 

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