LAUNCH

They met at a Flock of Seagulls concert and have been friends ever since. They are not alike in every way: S Ar AH Perry is a gardener, urban chicken farmer and mother of three. M A ry N O rve LL is an “immature gardener compared to Sarah,” she says, and a graphic designer. But they work well together. So when Perry set her sights on starting a local farmers market, Norvell said, “I’m in.” A local shop owner let them use his lot, and the women have been bringing local farmers and craftspeople together twice monthly for more than a year now. Though the market is seasonal, it doesn’t stop when the temps drop. In fact, it will run right through the holidays.

How did this market get going?

MN: Bruce Bagelman, the Green Spot owner, and Sarah were discussing the idea; he agreed to let us have it in the parking lot

SP: ...which is a big deal. To let us just come in and take over his parking lot. We were impressed that he wanted to participate. We knew the right mentality was here, that people in this neighborhood support local farmers markets, and that people here would embrace it.

Were you surprised about how quickly it gained popularity?

SP: Partly, especially considering we don’t really advertise and that it is all word of mouth, but like we said, we expected it to be well-received. We’ve been happy with the response. The vendors are happy. There is a community here, and it is nice to see the market being part of that community.