The crisp, cool air of late summer mornings mark the dawn of a new day for many of the area’s farmers as they prepare their week-long harvest for the Saturday Farmers’ Market.

Monday, August 28, 2000

The crisp, cool air of late summer mornings mark the dawn of a new day for many of the area’s farmers as they prepare their week-long harvest for the Saturday Farmers’ Market.

The surplus of locally grown vegetables travels to downtown Ironton every weekend, but fresh vegetable lovers don’t have to worry about this year’s pickings. Local growers say this year’s crop has been a good one.

"This year has been great," Pedro farmer Judy Balmer said. "The season’s been real good to us. We’ve had a little too much water, but we’ve been making it."

Hungry consumers can expect to find the most popular items such as green beans, corn and tomatoes, although people can find just about anything, she added.

Other items one might see include locally grown onions, cabbage, assorted squash, banana peppers, oriental egg plant, purple beauty peppers and canned goods such as honey and pickles.

Every Saturday morning, Mrs. Balmer and her husband, Tom, set up shop on the corner of Fifth Street and Park Avenue along with 10 to 15 other local farmers to sell their homegrown produce and canned goods.

"We have been involved in the Farmers’ Market for over 10 years," Mrs. Balmer said. "I guess time flies when you are having fun. The market has always been a cooperative effort in bringing the local farmers together to market their goods. No certain person has been directly involved in organizing the market. We all meet here and have a good time."

She said the local farmers have had a good season with the exception that a few products have suffered from recent weather.

"Overall, it’s been a really good year for everything but the cantaloupes," she said. "There was a little too much water this year and they rotted before we could get them in from the field."

Despite the loss of the yellow-fleshed melon, the watermelon harvest has already begun producing melons weighing in at more than 25 pounds each, she added.

She said each Saturday has been filled with many local farmers providing vegetables to hundreds of individuals.

"The customer turnout this year has been plentiful," Mrs. Balmer said. "We sell produce at the Cedar Knoll (Galleria) Mall on Wednesdays and we have just as many customers there as we do here."

Pumpkins will soon be available, she added, as the market continues to sell products through the end of October.

She said farmers set up at the market and begin selling their fresh produce around 7 a.m. But vegetable shoppers should be lazy. Most are nearly sold out by 10 a.m.

"If there’s something specific a customer wants, they need to be here early in order to get it," she said. "The farmers almost always bring a pick-up truck load of items when they come. They start selling out between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. We try to stay until noon to allow the elderly a chance to get out and come to the market."