Spring has arrived in Lincoln County, bringing with it rain, but most importantly, it marks the opening of local farmers’ markets. There are a handful in the area, including markets in Chandler, Wellston, McLoud and Meeker.
The Chandler OK Farmers Market had its first market of the season on Saturday, with plenty of people showing up to browse the vendors despite the cloudy weather. Organizer Stephen Furhman said they have 18 vendors signed up this season.
“I’m crazy excited about that. There will be something for everyone,” he said.
Some of the vendors are Natural Freedom Farms, 66 Remnant, Hillside Apothecary, Peaceful Cedars Farm, Farmer Fuel Coffee, Laurinn Sheets, The Puppery, The Okie Doughkie, Coyle Family Farm, Herrmann Homestead, The Flour Market LLC, AnnaLou’s, Rifle Tree Ranch LLC, AMD Acres, Two Lights Farm LLC and Tom and Tori’s Honey.
The market is open every Saturday from April to October, from 8 to 11 a.m. It’s held on 8th Street and Manvel, right next to the Lincoln County Courthouse. In addition to their regular markets, Furhman said they are adding four evening markets this year, giving more opportunities for people to stop by and shop. They will be held on the first Tuesday of May, June, July and August.
The market has a variety of products, ranging from tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggs, baked goods and more. As an Oklahoma Department of Agriculture-registered farmers market, the market focuses more on food vendors. Some vendors are cash only, while others have other payment options.
The Wellston Farmers Market is moving to a new location this year at 207 W 2nd St.
The market will officially open in May and run through October. It’s on the first and third Saturday of every month and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year, Wellston has 16 vendors providing fresh produce, baked goods, and some crafts. Stanley said they’ll also continue with food trucks and live music. A new food truck will be making its debut, offering snow cones.
Currently, Wellston is the only farmers market in the area that takes SNAP benefits 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. The market takes regular SNAP, the Senior Farmers Market SNAP program.
The City of McLoud Farmers Market also kicked off last weekend. It runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday from April to October, rain or shine, according to one of the volunteer market managers, Bobbie Bingham.
“We will have a wide variety of tasty food items such as jams, jellies, honey, fancy pickles and salsas, wonderful breads, and some keto-friendly treats,” Bingham said. “Of course, we will have lots of farm fresh local vegetables as well as corn and watermelon from here in Oklahoma.”
The organizer added that as they move into garden season, some vendors will have garden plants and flowers to sell. They also have a vendor that makes custom knives and another that makes toddler clothes.
They hold special events throughout the year, including gardening tips in the spring, a salsa festival, Kids Day at the Market, the blackberry and flower festival and the Harvest Festival on the final day of the market.
Bingham said they’re in the process of getting set up with the SNAP program and plan to have it available in about six weeks. Most vendors take cards, though a few accept cash.
“It is our hope that we provide a fun and welcoming atmosphere for the whole family. We have a mini cafe to encourage our customers to hang out and visit, maybe play a game of chess and enjoy a cup of coffee and a treat,” Bingham said.
The McLoud Farmers Market takes place on the west side of the city (1060 West Broadway) under a covered roof structure.