Cherry tomatoes are ripe for the taking at the Twin Springs Fruit Farm booth at the North Old Town Farmer’s Market. Photo by Hope Nelson.
Tucked neatly into the small parking lot on the outskirts of Montgomery Park, a smattering of farm vendors have started selling their wares. For just a few hours last Thursday, the all-week rain took a little break as neighbors celebrated the launch of the North Old Town Farmer’s Market.
The small but mighty space will soon play host to half a dozen or more local farmers and entrepreneurs every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., said Market Master Margaret Townsend.
“I’m such a believer in the positive energy of small business,” Townsend said.
She says she believes that the market is another way for neighbors to reinvest in their own community and strengthen the neighborhood bonds — and for local businesses to get involved, too.
“We’re trying slowly to increase the vitality of this whole area of the park,” Townsend said. “I envision people picking things up at the market … and then perhaps picking up something lovely at (restaurants like) A La Lucia and then having a picnic in the park with their children.”
The origin of the market has been a slow and steady effort over nearly five years, Townsend says. From first envisioning the concept to now, the permits, buy-in, organizational hurdles, and more have been slow-going, but the final product was worth the wait.
“We’re trying very hard to place farmers from different markets – perhaps who haven’t been in Alexandria before, as well as farmers who are familiar to Alexandria. … We’re trying to follow some of the precepts of the Smart Market movement,” focusing on farmers who hail from 200 miles or less away and grow their own produce.
One thing you’ll notice when visiting the market is the diversity of products. Rather than lining the lot with several vendors selling similar produce, Townsend was committed to a more diverse approach.
“We’ve been really careful to make sure there’s no vendor overlap so there’s no competition,” she said. Such diversity leads to a plethora of options, ranging from delicious bread to bright, colorful tomatoes. And Relay Foods, an online grocer, has designated the market as a pickup site for neighbors’ weekly orders, giving shoppers even more options.
One of the linchpins of the farmer’s market so far is Twin Springs, a farm based in Orrtanna, Pa., that is no stranger to Northern Virginia markets. Its stint in North Old Town is a first in Alexandria for the farmers, and Townsend has high hopes.
“We are their first Alexandria market,” she said. “They have a strong following throughout the area but have not been able to make it into Alexandria before. I think this is going to be great for them and great for folks who (already) come down to them at Sherwood Hall.”
Just a couple of weeks into the market’s existence, Townsend has her sights set on even more success this summer. Coming soon: “(A) free yoga in the park program, and we’ll be working on some biking events for folks who want to ride their bikes to the market.” Townsend’s also working up tentative plans for a “Taste of North Old Town” event that would begin at the market and spill over into nearby local restaurants.
But for now, she’ll work on getting the market up and running at full capacity. After several preview weeks, the grand opening is slated for May 19.
“(It’s) a real heartfelt project because I believe it’s so valuable to the community,” she said.
Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionista blog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her any time at hope@kitchenrecessionista.com.