Farmer’s Market business picking up

Don McCutcheon sells Edgar Gay and Allan Hatcher some cucumbers at the Hartselle Farmer’s Market Wed., June 26.

Joy Harris
Special to the Enquirer

The Hartselle Farmer’s Market allows local farmers to sell their produce themselves on their own time.

The market’s sign on Sparkman Street says the Farmer’s Market is open from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but the local farmers usually set up around 7:30 a.m. and stay until they sell out or around 2 p.m.

“After about 2 p.m. it gets too hot to be out,” local farmer Billy Brown said. “When it’s too hot, people don’t want to be out buying produce in it, so it’s time to pack up and go home.”

Some sellers come every day, but some farmers only sell every other day.

“I sell at the market on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Brown said. “I don’t pick but every other day.”

This year’s unseasonably cool weather of late spring has negatively affected many crops, making business at the Farmer’s Market slow this season.

“Lots of crops are about two weeks late this year because of the weather,” Henry Springer said. “Normally I have green beans, cabbage, onions, squash and okra by this time, but so far I’m only selling squash and green beans. I should have peas and tomatoes soon. They are a little late, too.”

Springer has been selling his produce at the Farmer’s Market for about 15 years now.

The Farmer’s Market has not seen a lot of customers in the last couple weeks, but business has slowly started to grow in the last week.

“The last couple weeks have been so slow,” Brown said. “I just stayed out here to pass time even though there was hardly any business. I’m retired, so I can do that.”

“Business has been way too slow, but I guess it has picked up a little. I should think about going back to my real job,” local produce seller Don McCutcheon joked.