For the most part on the daily, fruits and vegetables are a side dish. But every Thursday, when the Farmers Market of Bluffton comes to Martin Family Park, they’re the main course. Of course, if you’re on the hunt for sides, you’ll find them. Something unexpected for lunch, and maybe a few goods to take home.
Donald and Emma Stevenson sell produce from their stand. They’ve been at the Bluffton Farmer’s Market from the beginning.
Vendors offering everything from farm-fresh fare to hand-pressed juice. Here, among the tents, booths, trailers, and trucks you’ll find a true sense of Bluffton’s vibrant community among the multi-faceted offerings that dot the park.
“We’ve added not only new vendors to keep that variety, but also other programs and things that entertain the community as well. Anything from fencing to dog adoptions – and a lot more nonprofits are reaching out, asking if they can be part of the market to create awareness or draw out new volunteers,” said Kim Viljac, whose tenure as executive director for the Farmers Market of Bluffton has seen it grow to incredible heights. “The whole community is constantly changing and evolving, and we’ve evolved with it. We’ve welcomed everybody with open arms in terms of community awareness and vendors that fit our criteria, which is in the simplest terms, either you eat it or grow it.”
And this summer, there is a whole new crop of newcomers waiting for you every Thursday in Martin Family Park.
Among the more traditional family farmers is Jim Larnish, whose Son-Rise Farm produces fruits and vegetables for sale and to be given to those in need through their First Fruits ministry. In his third year of farming, he sells exclusively at his home market in Walterboro and in Bluffton.
Kristina and Daniel from Lowcountry Citrus Grove sell pies.
“I did some checking around, and the way it was run, its location and its traffic flow were amazing,” Larnish said. “I find it to be a wonderful market in many respects, and the atmosphere is outstanding. I truly am thankful for the opportunity.”
Even less-established farms have an opportunity to showcase their wares at the market. Lowcountry Citrus Grove, another new vendor, doesn’t even have any produce to sell yet. But that hasn’t stopped them from making their introduction to Bluffton.
“Everything’s still growing. We’ve put in strawberries and blackberries, and we have a mandarin orchard, but they take time to develop,” said Kristina Barmettler with Lowcountry Citrus Grove. In the meantime, she is putting her skills as a baker to good use, serving up pies, breads, and pastries made from local fruits and vegetables. “We used to have a baker in Northern California, so this was easy to fall back on. We’re using strawberries from one of the other farms here, zucchini from another and eggs from another. … It helps to grow the farm, because when you’re new, it’s all upfront costs.”
A gyro and spanikopita from Two Birds Greek Street Food
That unique ability of the market to help grow businesses is easy to see with just one lap around the park. Stop by the Well House table and talk to Sam Boring, and she’ll tell you all about how the market helped her fresh juice business succeed.
“We started out in our kitchen on Lady’s Island before we got connected here in Bluffton about a year and a half ago. It has taken off now,” Boring said. “We get enough pre-orders now that before we’re even here, we’re halfway sold out of what we could press. The rainbow-colored array of juices Boring and her husband, Tim, produce don’t just taste delicious. Each carries its own formula of healthy produce to fight inflammation, cure hangovers, or just give you a little pep in your step.
Cindy and her daughter sell ice cream at their Sweet Pedals cart.
“We weren’t sure if Bluffton would even take to juice, but they’ve really been good to us,” Boring said. “In fact, my husband and I both worked full time in pharmaceuticals and we both quit our jobs to pursue the juice business.”
New businesses have taken notice of the unique ability that the Farmers Market has to get a business noticed and get it to the next level. After debuting her Sweet Pedals concept at Mayfest this year, Cindy Bass knew the market would be the perfect fit for her unique ice cream sandwich cart. “I work at The Pearl as well, so I’m very familiar with the Farmers Market,” she said.
Delicious juices on ice from Well House Juicery
Indeed, on a sunny day you’ll find a mob of kids surrounding the Sweet Pedals ice cream trike, drawn by the intoxicating blend of ice cream and cookies. “I knew I wanted to be there because there are a lot of great vendors and it’s always busy.”
Vendors display their wares at the Bluffton Farmer’s Market on a Thursday in June. Adjacent to the Bluffton Farmer’s Market, you can find the local artisans of The Bridge Collective Market.
Even established businesses have taken notice. Katherine Graham has been selling her line of Good Graham gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and cane sugar free foods for nearly five years in her native Savannah. Seeing the number of customers coming from Bluffton, she made her debut on this side of the river in May.
“I think they have done an amazing job with the balance of meat and produce vs. prepared foods. For a successful farmers market, it is a must to have your meat and produce vendors. A lot of markets try to just have one and then have 30 prepared foods and crafts. I could tell when I visited that this market works. They understand.”
That measured growth has been what has fueled the Farmers Market of Bluffton into a Thursday institution. Yes, you can go there and sample fare from Greek to African to Gullah. You can go there and discover new nonprofits in our area. You can go there just to see who’s there this week. But you’re always going to leave with some of the freshest fruits and vegetables you’ll ever experience.
“We’re here to support the agricultural community and the food community and, of course, new businesses. We hate to see old vendors go, but we feel so proud when their drive allows them to move on. It creates room for new businesses and new families that are moving to the area to start up their own businesses, which is a lovely thing to see,” Viljac said. “Sometimes people feel like they’re coming every week and see the same thing all the time. But you never know what you’re going to find there.”
