The Pocahontas County Farmers Market has expanded to three locations for the late spring/summer season.
President Sandy Irvine said the Marlinton market, located at the mini-park will open Saturday, May 24, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Beginning Friday, May 30, the Linwood market, at the Linwood Library, will be open 3 to 5:30 p.m. The Green Bank market has moved to the parking lot at Henry’s Quick Stop and will open Wednesday, June 4, 3 to 6 p.m.
The market will continue to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and Senior Vouchers.
This year, the market has a special doubling program which will reward shoppers who use the three vouchers.
“We will double up to $20 on the SNAP, WIC and Senior Vouchers,” Irvine said. “Senior vouchers will come in five dollar increments this year. If you’re a senior and you come to my stand and spend five dollars, then you have five dollars more that is given out. They can spend that at the other vendors.”
The same will apply for WIC and SNAP.
Also new at the market is the mentor program for two junior market managers.
“We went through [Duane] Gibson at the high school and we’ve got Katlin Sharp and Kindra Carr,” Irvine said. “Kindra’s wanting to do the Green Bank market and then Katlin is going to do Marlinton. It’s to help out the president and other officers because there’s so much that needs to be done.”
Irvine said the girls will be given a scholarship from the Farmers Market at the end of their senior year for their work.
The market has between 30 and 50 participants. Some of them are full-year and others are seasonal dependent on the crops they sell.
“We have thirty that pay full-year dues,” Irvine said. “Overall, I’d say we’ve got probably forty to fifty people that participate. We have two junior marketers, Trevor Jordan and Jaylee Doss.”
Whether it’s produce, baked goods, flowers or crafts, the Farmers Market has it all. Stop by the Marlinton, Linwood and Green Bank markets to see what’s new and available in the county this year.
Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com