local farmer’s market offers variety and convenience

By nORMa B. dennIs FreeLANCe WrIter ndworddesign@gmail.com

What started as a garden behind First Baptist Church of Jamestown in 2017 soon grew into a farmers’ market in the church parking lot. Although some vegetables in the garden still produce from year to year, the garden is no longer officially tended. But the Jamestown Community Farmers Market continues to thrive.

Each Wednesday evening from 5-7:30 p.m. vendors, displaying a variety of wares, can be found lining the front edge of the church’s large parking lot at 306 Guilford Road. Ingram’s Farm, with its fresh vegetables and homemade ice cream is a popular draw to the scene. But other booths offer an array of foods and crafts.

Some vendors attend the market each week, while others set up on occasion. There are always plenty of items, however, to peruse and purchase — from jams and jellies to honey, specialty desserts, fruit, corn meal, grits and hush puppy mixes and Italian ice. One also might find jewelry, cutting boards, sparkplug bugs, wooden key chains, books and items that can be personally embroidered.

The youngest vendor, 12-yearold Thomas Stewart, sells handcrafted soaps. He is located beside his mother’s booth, which features jam, jelly and crocheted items. Stewart has been attending the local farmers’ market since its opening seven years ago. He started his entrepreneur endeavors selling lemonade, but this summer decided to offer his handcrafted soap.

Stewart began crafting soap as a school project at Noble Academy. When he realized he could sell his product at the Jamestown Community Farmers Market he continued to make the soap and