Market Manager's Thoughts

How do you feel when you go to the

Olde Beaufort Farmers’ Market? 

Let me tell you how I feel and what I see when I walk onto the courthouse grounds in the bright fall sunshine, pick up the cowbell,

and walk through ringing it, stopping to chat with vendors and shoppers, allowing the joy and excitement of the market to fill me up!

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You see, the OBFM now has a finely tuned group of people who have joined our team, including: vendors, volunteers, staff, community organizations, and shoppers who wouldn’t miss the chance each Saturday morning to gather under the motherly, embracing arms of

the magnificent oaks. They come for their weekly dose of happiness,

to be filled with a sense of community, to chat with neighbors or

guests in our town, to purchase delicious food and lovingly created artist’s and craftsmen’s handiwork, or to just simply absorb the ambience. The market vibrates with a positive energy, a heart-filling energy, sure to bring a smile to one’s face and a bounce to one’s step.

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Yes, the market includes farmers, some with large fields to tend and others with smaller, carefully composed garden plots, some growing their veggies in greenhouses, and others tending plants in pots…all bringing the results of their love for growing things to the courthouse square.  Yes, there are farmers who tend animals: chickens, pigs,

cattle whose meat is filled with the care and wellbeing of browsing in open pastures and whose eggs are gifts to us; bees whose combs

are filled with honey infused with local wildflowers, and seafood from the waters which surround our land.  

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Yes, there are bakers and cooks who bring memory-filled desserts,

like the pineapple upside down cake my mom used to made, simple and nutritious breads and buns baked in a handmade outdoor oven fired with wood, crusty pastry shells filled with tomato and herb mixtures, homemade jams, jellies, and spreads, fresh out of the oven buttermilk biscuits, and so much more…all prepared and filled with

the joy of foodies doing their thing!

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And yes, there are artisans whose work composed of every shape, material, and color conceivable.  Our coastal towns and hamlets draw artists of all types, many of whom find a venue for living their dream

of being a self-supporting artist in their booth at the market.  Studios across the county are filled with hardworking, passionate creators investing their time, honing their skills, and producing quality clay

work, jewelry, paintings, soaps, candles, clothing, glass pieces, reclaimed, repurposed, and transformed beauties, wood creations, photography of our fields, woods, and waters, books whose stories

are spun right here…and so much more.

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And finally, yes, there are community organizations whose missions improve the quality of life for humans and animals by educating, engaging, and informing our citizenry of programs available for them.  All of these inclusive, abundant, weekly gatherings are supported by our foundational Friends of the OBFM who believe in the market and who are willing to generously donate their resources to keep this hometown organization alive, well, and thriving.

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So, my strolls through the market walkways on bright, autumn

Saturday mornings fill my head and heart with joy that comes as a result of knowing a bit of what it took for these farmers, foodies, artisans, and community folks to show up under their tents, with smiles on their faces, to greet the public at the ringing of the market-opening cowbell. It is a scene manifested thru lots of ideas, lots of dreams, lots of visions, lots of work, and lots of commitment from the many who make it all possible. Perhaps on your next trip through, you may be a little more aware of what came before and what is occurring in the moment, more like my viewpoint, and our shared gratitude for the abundance and joy of the fall harvest and the winter rest cycles of nature and life will be just a little sweeter.
 
We hope to see you at the market through November 20th and then, after a short break, at our magical Olde-Fashioned Holiday Market on the evening of Saturday, December 18th. 
 
With love and appreciation for all,
Cindy

The Votes Are In!  

The most popular choice was Farm Collection!  Delicious Honey and Pottery Perfect were close contenders in

the vote talleys.  The good news is that all three will be available for purchase at the Welcome tent on Saturday mornings!

Thank you for your help!   We look forward to seeing you.

New Decal Colors and Styles for 2021

Show your OBFM support with these spiffy decals available at our Welcome Tent.

We look forward to serving the needs of our community with fresh locally grown food and quality handmade products. Thanks for your support!