NEWS

Prime Season Market

September 30, 2023

9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Rain or Shine! No pets please.

Shopping starts at the ringing of the market bell.

 

Hello DFM Shoppers,

We are back to Market this Saturday with another wonderful day full of local food and fun! The forecast looks great and our vendor’s tables will be overflowing and ready for you to shop at 9 am, once the big Market bell rings.

While you’re at the Market on Saturday, take a moment to reflect…that at 7 am…the Market site was silent. A blank canvas. No cars and no people. Maybe a runner in the distance. Summit Coffee just opening up. Slowly, Market volunteers arriving at the Market shed, greeting each other with pre-coffee bedheads, genuine energy, and warm smiles. A big task ahead.

Our vendors and our community count on us to create this magical Market environment that 3,000’ish visitors have come to love and count on every Saturday. The responsibility feels good. Some Saturdays we have nine volunteers. Sometimes two. Setting up the Market is the most important job of the day. Volunteers deliver tents and tables to 40 plus vendors, waiting their arrival. As they arrive, volunteers hustle over and begin popping up the vendor’s tents and tables – assisting as needed. Some vendors bring their own tents and tables. But no matter what, every vendor knows just how they want their area arranged so they may start setting up their spaces with artistry and intention, getting ready to open for business!

Come on out to the Market a little early this Saturday. Lend a hand or just sit back and watch the magic. If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering, stop by the red Market tent on Saturday and we’ll tell you all about it! Did you know that Set-up volunteers get to shop before the bell rings? It’s the biggest secret we like to share.

This week, for your home cooking inspiration:

Beef + Broccoli Stir Fry, Natasha’s Kitchen

Sweet Potato, Poblano + Chorizo Chili, Iowa Girl Eats.

Farmers Market Ratatouille, Food.com

No matter how you show up – we are just glad that you do! See you at the Market 🙂

September 30, 2023 at the DFM

• Music by Dugi B – This artist entertained us at the beginning of Prime Season and is now back again. Dugi B is truly an experience, so come on out and enjoy his talent that he’ll be sharing with the market!
• Year-Round Market Details
  • Open now through the Saturday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 18)
  • Closed Nov. 25 + Dec. 2
  • Open Dec. 9 + 16 Holiday Markets!
  • Winter Tailgate Season:
  • 6 + 20
  • 3 + 17
  • March 2 + 16
• IT’S APPLE SEASON! Thanks to our collaboration with vendor Fair Share Farms and Lyda + Sons Orchard in Hendersonville, NC, we will bring you NC mountain apples every Saturday from now until the end of October’ish. Find us near the red Market tent! Find us near the red Market tent! This Saturday we will have: Gala, Fuji, Mutsu, and Granny Smith.
• Stop by the Mecklenburg County Master Gardeners table to welcome them back to the DFM. They will be at the market every Saturday for all of your local gardening Q&As.

Saturday, Oct. 28 – Apple Day at the DFM: We’ll have lots of apple themed goodies, apple sales, apple T’s, an apple themed chef demo, an apple book author, + apple kids activities too! So many apples! And prizes for Halloween Costumes!

New at the DFM – Thoughtful Baking Co has created a free pastry passport to celebrate all the wonderful pastries that are available at the DFM. Stop by the Thoughtful Baking booth to grab your Pastry Passport this Saturday. Each time you purchase a pastry from a participating vendor, you will earn a passport stamp. Once you collect all the stamps, return to Thoughtful Baking Co. for a delicious prize! Fun and delicious, while supporting local pastry makers!

Reminder – The Davidson Farmers Market vendors are happy to accept Snap/EBT.  When you Snap We Match!  Let Us Double Your SNAP dollars, up to $50!  For more information on the SNAP/ Double Bucks program please go to the DFM Market tent.

• “Spring Egg Coupons” are now available for all DFM SNAP users. For more information on the SNAP/ Double Bucks program and the Spring Egg coupons, please go to the DFM Market tent.

 

Give the Gift of DFM

The Davidson Farmers Market is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and our operations would not be possible without the generous support of our donors, sponsors, and volunteers.

The season of giving is upon us, and we hope you will consider DFM as you make your year-end gifts. Your support enables the market to thrive, attracting an average of 1,600 shoppers every week. When you shop at DFM, you not only support thirty-nine amazing local producers who come from within a 100-mile radius of our community, and represent over 1,100 acres in surrounding counties, you also:

• Stimulate our local economy and aid in the preservation of farmland
• Create opportunities for business incubation and micro-enterprise for farmers & vendors
• Strengthen our local food system while reducing the carbon footprint
• Foster social interaction among an economically, racially, and ethnically diverse shopper base

To make a tax deductible contribution, visit our secure online gift form or mail a check to PO Box 2534, Davidson NC 28036

Thank you!

Like we always say, the DFM could not happen without the support of our community. Thank you… DFM vendors for providing a bounty of fresh and healthy local products, DFM Sponsors for their financial support, DFM Green team who volunteers time, talent and energy, DFM musicians for beautiful music and Town of Davidson for providing a clean and centric location for the market!

A huge thank you to those individuals who donate to support the DFM.  Your support enables the market’s mission and helps sustain DFM as a vibrant community gathering place and source for healthy, locally grown produce and products. To make a donation, visit our secure, online gift form or mail a check to PO Box 2534, Davidson, NC 28036. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you!

DFM History

It has been 15 years since a small group of Davidson citizens decided we needed a Farmers Market. I doubt even the most ardent fan of markets or the most optimistic could have imagined the Market we have today. With close to 40 vendors, an average of 1800 shoppers a week and strong community support we set a high standard for what a local, producer only market should look like. Saturday mornings are a cacophony of sights and sounds and smells and I delight in finding a few minutes to sit and take it all in. I love to watch the families introducing their children to fresh fruits and vegetables and piling carriages high with flowers or seeing a small hand reach up to touch a brightly colored pepper. I listen to vendors answering questions about how to best prepare okra or explaining about different types of mushrooms. Our vendors are passionate about their product because they produce it themselves and despite long lines and hot sun, they always seem pleased to be at the Market. It feels so good to see people listening to the music and placing tips in the can, and sometimes singing along. Maybe you are part of a group or a club or a team that would like to come out and help set up and enjoy the perks of fellowship and early bird shopping.

So come to shop or volunteer or both, and take some time to let all the special parts of the Market really sink in. It’s worth the time!

DFM “Need to Knows”

Shopping starts at the ringing of the market bell.  No entrance to market area prior to bell.

Payment: Most vendors accept cash and credit cards.

Parking: You can find public parking along Main Street, Jackson Street, the Davidson Presbyterian Church parking lot at the corner of Depot & Jackson Streets.  All of which are just a short walk form a Market entrance.

Davidson Farmers Market partners with a local food pantry, Hearts and Hands.  Each week the DFM offers a donation bin for the DFM Community to drop their donations.  The bin is located at the DFM Market Tent.

No pets: While we all love to have dogs around town, the Davidson Farmers Market is a dog & pet free Market. Pets are not permitted within the Market grounds. As always, service animals are welcome.

Questions: Look for the DFM Market Tent or [email protected]