Lots of local tomatoes.

Summer has been good, but now it’s officially over for all the area schools. For our final article in this series, we decided to visit the Davidson Farmers Market, where Emma is a volunteer. On a recent Saturday, we checked out all the produce as the seasons change from summer to fall. We hope you had a great summer and enjoy a cooler fall!

Emma: For me, the day started at 6:30 a.m. with set-up. We had tents to put up, and tables to put under the tents. I also had to set up the information booth, with brochures, T-shirts, and other miscellany. The sky slowly changed from gray to blue. At 8 a.m., the scene was already buzzing with people eager to buy the delicious looking baked goods and produce, as well as the meats and cheeses hidden away in giant white coolers.

The information table, staffed by Kenya Templeton, helps people navigate the market.

I sat at the information booth for most of the market, helping people with their various problems and trying to sell them t-shirts and market tokens. These tokens allow you to use your credit card to pay the vendors, without having to go to the ATM. Each is worth five dollars, and any change you need is paid in cash. If you receive SNAP benefits, you can also use that card to get tokens.

A sunflower for sale as part of a bouquet.

Paulina: When I finally arrived at the market, it was already after 10, and many of the more popular items had already sold to those who got out of bed earlier than me. However, there were still many people around, and lots of items for sale. I found Emma at the information stand, and she took time off from working to show me around the market, since she is much more familiar with it.

We walked down into the area where much of the produce is sold. There were tons of beautiful tomatoes, as well as onions, corn, beans, and lots more. One of my favorite booths was the one selling flowers. The bouquets are huge and it was really cool to see the sellers designing more as we watched.

Local peaches for sale.

We then explored all the stands selling baked goods. Even with the market over half-way done, the vendors still had lots of selection. My favorites were the cookies and other sweet baked goods, although some of the French breads and quiches were quite tempting as well. From there, we swung by the tent selling soaps, and spent quite a while smelling all the different scents. Since it was hot, we moved to sit in the shade of a tent while enjoying the musicians.

Musicans performing for the market-goers.

From the musicians to watching all the people, we couldn’t help but have something to see. The whole Farmers Market has such a community feel. I believe it’s nearly impossible to go there without seeing a least one person you know. We certainly saw quite a few. The music provided a nice background to the chatter of people, from locals to the new first-year students at Davidson being shown around town. I discovered that quite apart from buying anything, the Farmers Market is a great place to explore, and for taking some time to sit and just watch the activity going on around me. I left before the market ended, sending Emma back to her job.

At noon, the market ended, and it was time to pack it all up again. We always need volunteers for setting up and taking down the market. If you are interested, please email info@davidsonfarmersmarket.org. The market runs from eight a.m. to twelve p.m. every Saturday in April through October. Between those months, it goes from nine to twelve every other week. For more information, visit www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org.

Paulina Campbell is a rising senior at Woodlawn School. Emma Boraks is a rising freshman at North Mecklenburg High School (and a volunteer at Davidson Farmer’s Market.) They spent this summer scoping out alternatives to TV-watching and Web-surfing. We hope you’ll see them back in our pages again soon. Leave a comment below, or email editor@davidsonnews.net.

Brightly colored squash.

Bars of soap made by Essential Soaps.

Several kids enjoy a market snack.

Emma with market manager Courtney Spear.

Bread for sale at the Farmers Market.