Farmers markets to open

It all started with an onion.

At least, that’s how Stephen Furhman tells it.

Last June, he harvested a bumper crop of onions and wanted to sell them but had no outlet. He thought about a roadside stand but couldn’t find a location. It was then that he contacted the City of Chandler for permission to start up a volunteer farmers market.

“I figured if I needed a place to sell, others did also,” he said. “Build them and they will come.”

It certainly seems with spring blossoming, local farmers markets are popping up all over the county. The Chandler market is just one of a handful, with others in Wellston, McLoud and Meeker.

The Chandler OK Farmers Market is set to open its second season on April 8. The market is on the corner of Eight Street and Manvel every Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. through October, according to Furhman.

He said the market usually has around 17 vendors and is made up of local farmers, gardeners, bakers, and crafters. It offers everything, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggs, baked goods, jellies, preserves, and more. As it is a Department of Agriculture- approved market, Furhman said they focus more on fresh produce and food items.

“The purpose of the market is to give Chandler residents a place to shop for locally grown, baked and craft items,” he said. “The homegrown and baked goods will offer healthier choices and a healthier lifestyle with better-tasting food that doesn’t have chemicals and preservatives like most that are bought at grocery stores.”

The Wellston Farmers Market has been around a bit longer, starting in 2018, according to current market manager LaShelle Stanley. She took over in 2019 and said they’ve grown from two vendors to about 18 for the upcoming season. As such, they are moving into the old feed store in Wellston.

The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of every month, May through October. Their first market of this year is set for May 4.

Like other markets, Wellston offers fresh produce, baked goods and some crafts. This year, they’re adding a meat vendor. Stanley said they also often have children’s activities, live music and food trucks.

Wellston accepts SNAP benefits, like others in the area such as Chandler. The market takes regular SNAP, the Senior Farmers Market SNAP program and DUO (Double Up Oklahoma). With the DUO program, people who use their SNAP cards at a farmers market get up to an extra $20 to buy fresh produce and plants that grow food, she said.

“It doesn’t come off the customer’s card. We match them up to $20 a day,” Stanley explained.

She added that the market is a great way to get to know your neighbors and buy fresh, locally grown food. It is an Oklahomagrown market, meaning vendors have to grow or create their own products.

“It’s just a great sense of community and helping people out,” she said.

Bobby Bingham with the McLoud Farmers Market said this is the second year for them.

Currently, they have about 15 vendors that will be at the market every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., April through October.

They are actively looking for more vendors, though they currently have them for spring plants, cut flowers, produce, baked goods, jams and jellies, freeze-dried items and artisan handmade items.

“We have a few different events planned, such as kids’ day, guest speakers for things like organic gardening and sourdough baking, a salsa festival and Chili Cook Off/Halloween Costume Party that was a hit at our last market for last year,” Bingham said.

“We also want to support local artists and musicians by inviting them to perform at our market.”

The McLoud Farmers Market takes place on the west side of the city (1060 West Broadway) under a covered roof structure.