​Update of april 20, 2020

Angie Bullard Bateman of the Extension Office in Oneonta reports that, while the Ag Center office is currently closed, farmers can still get their Growers Permits for our 2020 season. Just send the following information to Angie at aab0093@auburn.edu:
  • Name
  • Phone
  • Address
  • List of produce that you will be selling at the Farmers Market.
  • If you need additional copies of your permit please indicate many.
  • You will keep this new permit with a copy of your 2019 permit for proof of notary stamp.

​The start date of the Farmers Market will be announced soon.

our mission

To enhance a unique marketing system providing quality, quantity,
and variety of products mutually beneficial to both vendors and shoppers.
The 2020 Farmers Market season will begin in late Spring! Open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Hours are 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Note that the end time may vary, depending on the farmers. Stay tuned for the announcement of the first day of market!
The Blount County Farmers Market is a state-sanctioned endeavor that allows folks to "buy fresh, buy local" and support the area's thriving agricultural community while meeting and visiting with the actual farmers. 
 
Located on the southern side of the Agri-Business Center underneath the covered area, the Farmer's Market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. (end time may vary, depending on the farmers), June through October. The Market is open on Saturdays only during the month of May.  Closing day will be determined at a later date in October. The market offers fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables. 
 
Selling privileges at the Blount County Farmers Market are extended to all producers and growers or their agents that have a bonafide growers permit. All vendors at the Blount County Farmers Market must have permits.

why buy local?

​The American tradition of the family farm is in danger of fading away as there are now less than a million people in the U.S. that claim their primary occupation to be farming.  This represents a loss of almost 5 million farms since 1935.  Family farms, exhibiting self-sufficiency, are the foundation of our rural communities.  Communities benefit from the local farmers as they purchase their goods from local merchants and provide jobs which enhance the local economy.  This produces a winning combination for all.

Usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested, fruits and vegetables produced locally are fresher and taste better than produce which has been shipped for a long period of time.  Statistics show that produce purchased in supermarkets may have been shipped from distant states and countries traveling an average of 1,300 miles for as many as 7 to 14 days.  When eaten at the height of ripeness, one reaps the benefits of the exceptional flavor and nutrients of the produce.

You can do your part to ensure that there will be farms in your community in the future and that for generations to come there will be abundant and nourishing food.  It’s as easy as buying fresh and buying local.  LOOK FOR THE LABEL and TASTE THE DIFFERENCE. 

see for yourself
Take a look at this video to see what the Farmers Market is all about.  Patti Moss Williams of PMW Communications provided photography and video production services.