Farmers Markets, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, offer many tasty benefits. First, access to fresh, locally grown foods. In addition, farmers’ markets have fruits and vegetables at the peak of the growing season. Thus, this means produce is at its freshest and tastes the best.
Furthermore, the food is grown typically where you are located, not thousands of miles away or from another country. Moreover, shopping at farmer’s markets supports your local farmers and keeps the money you spend on food closer to your neighborhood.
Bed and breakfast inns can promote that they use local farm-fresh produce in their breakfasts, snacks, desserts, and more. Guests appreciate eating locally grown and sourced food.
The State of Georgia
The State of Georgia has a number of local community farmers’ markets. Right here in Savannah, is Forsyth Farmers’ Market a food-only, producer-only market where 35 vendors on any given Saturday offer fresh produce, pastured meats, local honey, artisan dairy and cheeses, craft bread and baked goods, and a wide variety of prepared foods. All vendors come within a 200-mile radius of Savannah.
Georgia Grown has a directory of members who are certified local producers, representing the great state of Georgia.
Likewise, the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has its own directory of growers.
The State of North Carolina
The website Got To Be NC has a section devoted to Got To Be NC Agriculture. There are four regional Farmers Markets owned by the State of North Carolina and operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. These Farmers Markets are strategically located across the state to serve North Carolina farmers, both large and small. They are modern, well-maintained facilities, in prime locations that are inviting to both sellers and buyers.
- Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (in Charlotte, NC)
- Piedmont Triad Farmers Market (in Colfax, a suburb of Greensboro and High Point, NC)
- Raleigh Farmers Market (in Raleigh, NC)
- Western North Carolina Farmers Market (in Asheville, NC)
The State of South Carolina
The State of South Carolina owns and manages three regional state farmers markets in Columbia, Florence, and Greenville which provide consumers with a wide variety of locally grown produce and specialty products. Consumers may shop in farmers’ sheds, retail centers, and major wholesale businesses that operate at each market.
The markets sponsor Plant and Flower Festivals in the spring and fall as well as a variety of consumer-focused events throughout the year. The Certified South Carolina distinction makes it easy for consumers to identify, find, and buy South Carolina products.
- The Greenville State Farmers Market offers a wide variety of locally grown products and specialty goods. Market operations continue Monday – Saturday all year long, stopping for only two holidays: Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- The Pee Dee State Farmers Market, located on fifty-five acres of once-rural farmland, is on US Highway 52 (between Florence and Darlington) and is convenient to Interstates I-95 and I-20. Open year-round, the Market showcases some of the state’s freshest and finest produce and has also become a prime location for the ornamental horticulture and floriculture industry. The Pee Dee Market is a destination stop on the way to Myrtle Beach and for travelers north and south along the eastern seaboard, seeing more than 700,000 visitors annually.
- The State Farmers Market campus in Columbia houses the Phillips Market Center, Consumer Protection Division, privately owned wholesale businesses, farmer’s sheds, The Market Restaurant, and additional state-managed wholesale facilities and sheds. Consumers can shop year-round for fresh produce, specialty products, and artisan items. The peak season for locally grown produce runs from April through early October.
B&B Consulting
The B&B Consulting team loves eating the fresh produce that comes from local farmers at farmer’s markets. Not only is it tasty, but it also supports local farmers. If you are looking to buy or sell a bed and breakfast in North Carolina or Georgia, please contact B&B Consulting today.