Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on January 16, 2020.

“A market with a bistro feel.” That’s how Rebecca Shannon of Rebecca’s Pantry described Floyd’s Indoor Winter Market, an offshoot of the Floyd Farmers Market, held Saturdays from May – November at the Community Pavilion.

Like the outdoor Farmers Market, the Winter Market is operated by SustainFloyd. It takes place Saturdays from 10 – 2 p.m. in the Community Room at the Floyd Center for the Arts and features locally-grown produce and hand-crafted artisan foods.

“Part of the impetus behind starting the Indoor Market was that a lot of our customers wanted fresh vegetables into the winter,” said SustainFloyd Market manager Melissa Branks.

“I think we got your greens covered today,” said vender Toby Blankenship. Blankenship and his wife Tanya Cook run Wild Mountain Farm and are aggregators for other local farms, such as Riverstone Farm and Field’s Edge Farm. “No heat. No electricity. No carbon footprint,” Blankenship said about the couple’s winter hoop house production.

Representing their own farm and other local farms, Blankenship and Cook’s Winter Market booth was stock-full and drew a small line of customers waiting to purchase fresh vegetables. Fresh eggs, honey, unique canned goods and grass-fed beef products that included jerky, sausage, patties and brats were all part of the Market selections.

Branks reported that the Winter Market was in its second year of operation and that, although it is not as big as the outdoor Farmers Market, it’s a welcomed winter offering were people come and shop, enjoy a cup of Red Rooster coffee and baked goods from Grateful Bread Bakery while listening to live music. Saturday’s music was performed by Jake Retting and Papa Sam. Grateful Bread’s Thai butternut soup over jasmine rice and topped with bean sprouts and cilantro was a lunch favorite.

Whether indoor or outdoor, the Floyd’s Farmers Markets see a fair amount of customer “regulars” who support local farmers and interact as a community every week.  Todd and Gigi Berg, who live in North Carolina but have a place in Floyd, chatted with others at a Market table while their grandson Mason enjoyed a cinnamon roll.  “We pretty much come back every weekend,” Todd Berg said.

PHOTOS 1. Grateful Bread’s Ashleigh Ward serves up bread to a customer. 2. Farmers Market manager Melissa Branks headed up a SustainFloyd local food information booth. 3. Market-goers stand in line to purchase fresh produce from Wild Mountain Farm, a local food aggregator. 4. Deer Park Farm’s vending specialties include fresh herbs, teas, exotic plants and unique canned goods that included hot pepper jellies, salsa, chutneys and pickles. 5. Jake Retting and Papa Sam provided live music for vendors and market shoppers. 6. The Farmers Market is a good place for meeting up with friends and making new ones. Pictured (seated) are Gigi and Todd Berg and their grandson Mason. 7. A scene from SustainFloyd’s Winter Indoor Market, held at the Floyd Center for the Arts.