Harry Stacy shows off some of his Chandler strawberries he will be bringing to the Marietta Square Farmer's Market. Stacy has been selling his fruits and vegetables at the farmers market since 2003 and will be bringing his strawberries, tomatoes, eggs and perennial flowers this morning.
Photo by Laura Moon
Photo by Laura Moon
Stacy, whose farm is just over the county line in Dallas, is a retired lineman for Georgia Power.
"I retired early to do this full-time," said Stacy, who has been growing strawberries, corn, cabbage, peppers, collard greens, cucumbers, watermelons and other produce on his four-acre farm on Poplar Road since the early 1990s. His strawberries will be priced at $4 a pound.
"Out here, I'm not up and down the road all the time," Stacy said. "Doing this, sometimes I don't leave the house for three or four days. I love to see things grow."
Vendors like Stacy are what have helped make the Marietta Farmers Market so successful, said Johnny Fulmer, who started the farmer's market and also operates Church Street Market in Marietta with his wife, Susie.
In fact, the market has grown so popular that it's limited to 60 vendors this year. Fulmer said he turned away 100 more vendor applicants.
"I've had more applications for vendor space this year than we've ever had in the past," Fulmer said. "What we're trying to do is keep it as balanced as we can. If you don't watch out, everyone will be wanting to sell apples. We want to keep a nice representation of products."
The market prides itself on exhibiting locally grown produce from Cobb and neighboring counties. Visitors will have a variety of items to choose from, such as tomatoes, fresh eggs, squash, honey, cheese, whole grain breads, jellies, pies, preserves and fresh-cut flower arrangements. There will also be dog biscuits for furry friends.
The market has grown substantially from 2003, when it began in the parking lot by Marietta First Baptist Church.
"This was a sleepy town on Saturday mornings, and we said we need to bring people to Marietta Square earlier than noon or 1 p.m.," Fulmer said, describing how it got started.
Three years ago, the market moved to the Square, where it now occupies North Park Square, between Shillings restaurant and the Strand Theatre, every Saturday morning in warm months.
The weekly farmers market will be at the same location from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday, rain or shine, through Nov. 20. Parking is available at surrounding public parking lots and the county parking garage.
Stacy, who also lets folks come pick their own strawberries on his farm, said the people are why he keeps coming back to the Marietta Farmers Market.
"We've met some really good people up there," he said.
For more information on the Marietta Farmers Market, visit: www.MariettaSquareFarmersMarket.net.
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