WHO ARE WE?

Real Food.  Real Farmers.  Real Community.

Our Mission:  To organize and operate a farmers market which contributes to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthens our food economy and serves as a community gathering place.

 On June 16, 2009 the Norton Friends & Farmers Market, under the sponsorship of the City of Norton, held its grand opening in conjunction with the Best Friend’s Festival.  With the help of fourteen community volunteers who graciously donated over 1,000 hours of their time, we completed 16 markets with an average of 23 vendors per market, sponsored 4 major contest giveaways, and hosted information booths on a variety of topics from preserving food to clogging, along with health fairs and cooking. demonstrations by local chefs, all who came together to celebrate food and community.

Who are our market shoppers?  Our customers are local people who live in surrounding communities and visitors coming in from other states.  They are avid cooks, restaurant goers, and gardeners who say the farmers and vendors are the main reason they shop at the market.  They are active seniors who are vitally interested in health and nutrition.

 

Our shoppers are tourists who seek out “local flavor” and a sampling of southern Appalachian culture, and families with children who want to get to know the people who produce their food, and combine shopping with education about nutrition, farming, and fun.

 

By the end of our first market season, we learned that our farmers market is a magnet for tourists and tourism, a place to learn about selecting, preparing, and preserving the region’s bounty, and a powerful small business incubator. 

 

But in the midst of all the excitement and entertainment that greets customers at every Norton Friends & Farmers Market, it’s important to remember that the main goal of the market is to provide our region’s farmers a place to connect directly with their customers.  That’s why the motto of our farmers market is “All Things Local!”