Vendors offer more than produce

If it’s spring, the area’s farmers markets are sprouting along with flowers, trees and the produce that is the biggest attraction at the markets that began here 30 years ago.

In the Memphis area, the Agricenter Farmers Market was the first to organize vendors into a bazaar-like market that has grown to include cut flowers, arts and crafts and other offerings. Some markets now include live entertainment, meats, honey, candles, arts and crafts and, this year, frozen catered casseroles.

The number of markets had been expanding from year to year, but two markets have closed this year. The market at the Veterans Administration Hospital complex had to close because of major construction underway on the property, and the Arlington Open Air Market closed because the property on which the privately owned market was staged has been sold.

That still leaves a lot of markets that will be operating this year.

Fresh produce is still the mainstay of the markets, which promote healthy foods and growlocal themes to help support farms within a 150mile radius of the city.

Most of the local markets are listed on a Tennessee Department of Agriculture website (agriculture.tn.gov/Marketing. asp?qstring=MKT#wes), which includes contact information, hours, days of operation and websites for the local markets. The Commercial Appeal compiled these listings from interviews with market managers and from information posted on updated websites for the markets.