If you are ever looking for a fun, educational and relaxing time, go check out your local farmer’s market. You will find everything from produce to art, most of which is locally made.
Farmer’s markets can be rather large, taking up a couple blocks, or rather small with just a few tents. Take the Ogden 25th Street Market for example. It runs the entire length of the street with tents, trucks and homemade booths from some of the neighboring shops. It’s almost like an outdoor mall.
But others, like the Harrisville City Farmer’s Market, are bringing something back that has been missing: intimacy.
Intimacy is the quality of being comfortable, warm or familiar, and that is what the people at Harrisville City Farmer’s Market provide.
Take one local Harrisville couple, Joan and Allen Badley, for example. After Joan retired from Box Elder Bookmobile and Allen retired from Hill Air Force Base, they decided to start selling the fresh fruits and vegetables that they grew on their farm.
At first, they started selling produce right outside their home. Joan would put out a sign and table and wait for the people to come to her. Eventually, they started to sell out, creating a name for themselves in the fresh produce business.
Since starting at the farmer’s market just a few weeks ago, they’ve already sold out on fruits and are proud to say they have people coming down just for their booth. The cool thing about their produce is that they only sell by what’s in season, so you are guaranteed to get the freshest ingredients around.
Along with being comfortable, these smaller markets can also offer educational experiences to those attending. As the saying goes, “you learn something new everyday.” For example, did you know that honey can be used as an antibiotic?
Rick Sorensen of Harrisville Honey sure does. He runs and operates a homemade honey business with each bottle of honey having a unique flavor. Each contains the flavors of whatever flowers surround that hive.
Rick has a bottle labeled “Harrisville,” which contains alfalfa and clover flavoring. If you’ve never thought about eating honey on its own, these can make you want to do just that.
Each of the vendors seem to make you feel welcomed almost immediately. It’s like being welcomed into a new neighborhood. Some of these businesses even started at home.
Farr West resident Sarah Machin started a hobby by making homemade soaps. She is a clinical chemist and loved to mix the oils and colors to create her own style. She loved doing this so much that she created her very own business, The Bubble Orchard. Not only does she have body soap, but she also has products for skincare, shaving (for men) and even lip balm.
What this market is all about is vendors getting to know their customers and being able to teach people about their passions. Each vendor seemed to agree that the customers are their favorite part of participating in the market.
My favorite part is “just interacting with the customers and meeting people one on one,” said Kevin Badley.
“Helping people understand,” was Sorensen’s favorite part.
And “getting to know people,” was Machin’s.
The Harrisville City Farmer’s Market is located at Harrisville Park and is every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s cute, welcoming and brings friendship back to local sales.
