It’s official: the farmer’s market is no podunk operation. Last weekend, according to the Piedmont Environmental Council (which runs the high-visibility Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign promoting local food) the Charlottesville City Market passed the $1 million sales mark for the season. That’s a lot of carrots.
It’s also a lot of growth for a market that, 10 years ago, was doing less than a third as much business. The $1 million mark represents 11 percent growth over 2007 sales. It also leaves out a crop of newer, smaller markets that are riding the coattails of a burgeoning local interest in buying food direct from the farmer: Other markets at Meade Park, Forest Lake, Scottsville and Crozet—plus one in the Whole Foods parking lot—all have their devotees.
This Saturday is the last chance to be part of those million-dollar crowds in the Downtown parking lot that hosts the City Market. Once the regular 2008 season ends, there will only be the Holiday Market (every Saturday November 22-December 20) to sate marketgoers’ apparently hefty appetites.
