Independence Farmers Market

Pest, disease and fertility workshop-Feb 8
2020-02-08 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Default title, VA, United States
Join us for the 2nd workshop of the season February 08 from 9am to noon at the GLC/IFM office on 104 Courthouse Street. Cost is $15 and includes light refreshments.
We’ll discuss plant families, rotation and ways to reduce the need for costly chemicals.
Learn to use the handy fertilizer calculator and planning for likely diseases and pests so you can catch things early when they are easier to control. We’ll bring our favorite tools and control measures. We’ll also talk about drip irrigation and fertigation-that just means fertilizing while you water.

Grow More Vegetables, for farm and garden, Jan 11
2020-01-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Grayson LandCare/IFM office, 104 Courthouse Street, Independence, VA, United States
It’s back. Learn to pack a 21/2 X 5 foot raised bed with a huge amount of vegetables! It’s easy to multiply by 5 so this works for larger gardens too. This is an interactive vegetable growing workshop for all skill levels. We’ll meet at the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 104 Courthouse Street, Saturday January 11th from 9 am to noon. Snow date is the 18th, same place and time. Cost is $15, pay at the door, and light refreshments will be served. Planting dates, spacing, interplanting and succession plantings will be addressed. Using information from the best national and local gardeners you’ll learn to apply these techniques to a single raised bed or a full-sized market garden. We’ll break into groups and design gardens for maximum production. We’ll also have our favorite tools, books and catalogs on display. Start planning for a successful garden now. The class is limited to 30 people. Please email Michelle Pridgen at independencefarmersmarket@gmail.com to register.

2nd Winter Market and Chili Cook-off
2019-12-07 11:00 - 14:00 | Town Park
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Saturday December 7 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 2nd Winter Market and Chili Cook-off. Enjoy free kids activities, shop for delicious local products and beautiful crafts and stay for the Parade and Town Activities.Be sure to enter or judge the Chili Cook-off. A $5 ticket lets you taste all the chili and vote for your favorite, we had a dozen entries last year, so it’s a bargain.
FREE to enter, bring your chili to the Market by 10:30. $100 1st prize! Thanks to our Market sponsors Skyline Bank, the Town of Independence, Grayson County and the Matthews Foundation and River Ridge Farm. This is the last day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

1st Winter Market
2019-11-29 11:00 - 14:00
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Friday November 29 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 1st of 2 Winter Markets. Kick off the Holiday season by shopping locally for delicious local products and beautiful crafts. Enjoy free Kids activities at the Market This is the first day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

Apple Festival
2019-10-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
The Apple Festival is a community-wide event that celebrates apple season. The highlight is a community cider pressing—bring your apples to press with our presses! We’ll have three-one just for the kids! The Market also offers fresh pressed cider for donation as a fundraiser. The apple dessert contest is always hotly contested and it open to any kind of dessert featuring apples. Please bring your entry to the Market by 9:30. Judging begins at 10 am.
This is the last day of the outdoor Market. Don’t worry, you can shop On-line! Order from Wednesday evening to Monday evening and come by the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 108 Courthouse Street between 4-6 pm to pick up your order.

Cooking Day and Squashtober
2019-10-04 10:00 - 12:30 | Town Park
This is the last Cooking Day for the season. We’ll be cooking winter squash today for Squashtober. There are so many different varieties and they are great keepers so you can enjoy eating them all winter. Samples are available and donations are appreciated.

Fermentation Friday AND Pepper Day
2019-09-13 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Fermentation Friday returns to the Market on September 13. Carrie Gualt of Bird and Hopper Farm will host 2 demonstrations on preparing fermented foods. The demonstrations will begin at 10 am and again at noon. Fermentation is an ancient method of food preservation and fermented foods are a healthy addition to any diet. Fermentation kits will be available for sale and free samples will be offered for tasting.
Here’s your chance to taste the wide variety of sweet and hot peppers at our annual pepper tasting.

Cooking Day
2019-09-06 10:00 - 12:30 | Town Park
It’s the first Friday of September and time once again for Cooking Day. This Friday features a dehydration demonstration from regional food safety agent, Sandy Stoneman. We’ll be making fruit leather. Learn how to make a healthy version of this favorite snack- just in time for packing school lunches! Free samples will be available and donations are welcome. Donations help fund the cooking demonstrations at the Farmers Market.

Ice Cream Social Fundraiser
2019-08-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Courthouse Street
The first one was so much fun, we decided to do it again! Join us for another Ice Cream Social Fundraiser Sunday August 25 from 2-5 pm. We close down Courthouse Street and serve ice Cream with delicious homemade toppings and desserts. $10, kids under 10, $5. All proceeds go to fund the Farmers Market.

Fiber Day and Christmas in August Craft fair August 23
2019-08-23 09:00 - 13:00
Last Fiber Day of the season. Don’t miss it! The Blue Ridge Fiber Guild will hold 2 Fiber Days at the Market this year: June 21 and August 23 during regular Market hours from 9am to 1pm. Local fiber vendors will join the weekly Farmers Market. This is a great opportunity to purchase yarns, roving, raw fiber, baskets, and an array of knit, woven, and felted goods. Come and meet the artisans who often raise the animals providing fiber for the handmade items in their booths. Feel free to ask questions about farming with sheep, goats, alpacas, and rabbits, and see demonstrations of how raw fiber is turned into usable products. In addition, this is a second Craft Day to feature local artisans and kick off the Christmas season. Seriously, we are starting early this year to list our pesticide-free trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm since we will ONLY be taking On-line orders again this year. And it’s never too early to support your neighbors by shopping locally.

Grayson County Fair
2019-08-10 10:00 - 14:00
Join us for the 2nd Grayson County Fair! Last year was the first year we added a Fair to the long running Youth Livestock Show. This year we’ll be adding many more exhibit categories and other plans are in the works. Stay tuned and plan to enter!

Kids Corner-Vegetable Prints!
2019-08-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Town Park
Please join us at the Kid’s Corner between 10-11 am on Friday, August 2nd to celebrate the Tomato Festival. We’ll be making prints of tomatoes and other fruits and veggies. Your child can submit their artwork to be judged at the Grayson County Fair on August 10th if they would like. Kids of all ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free. This will be our last Kid’s Corner of the Summer season, but we will be back for Apple Day in October and at our Christmas Markets in November and December.

Tomato Festival
2019-08-02 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
The Tomato Festival features a People’s Choice tomato salsa contest, free tomato tasting, Monster Tomato Weigh-in

This is your chance to sample all the different varieties we sell at the Market for free. You can also enter the People’s Choice salsa contest and Monster tomato weigh in. Prizes for both events are $100- first, $30 second, $20 third. A big thank you to our generous sponsors; Matthews Foundation and Skyline Bank.

Bring a quart of salsa to the Market by 9:30 am, everyone is invited to taste and vote for the winner to be announced at noon. Bring your tomato to the Market by 11, weighing at noon. Abby will have free kids activities at the Kids Corner from 10-11.

Kids Corner-Trash to Treasure!
2019-07-26 10:00 - 11:00
Please join us at the Kid’s Corner between 10-11 am on Friday, July 26th. We’ll be celebrating “Jam Day” by making our own instruments out of recyclables! Feel free to jam out with us! Kids of all ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free.

JAM Day and Take a Break from the Interstate
2019-07-26 09:00 - 13:00
JAM Day is a new event this year. We’ve invited the Junior Appalachian Musicians(JAM) to the Market. We’ll also be showing you how to make and can jam, have a jam contest, and LogJam will set up their portable mill and cut slabs and timber at the Market. AND, it’s the annual HWY 21 yard sale. It’s the only day our vendors bring in things they have not made to join in the yardsale spirit.

Kids Corner- Berry Day!
2019-07-19 10:00 - 11:00
Join us Friday, July 19th at the Kids Corner from 10-11 am for all things BERRIES! Berries are super healthy and really tasty, so why not indulge? We’ll be tasting a variety of berries and using their beautiful, vibrant colors to PAINT! Seriously, though, this is a day you won’t want to miss! All ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free.

Berry Festival
2019-07-19 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Join us and sponsor River Ridge Organics for the 7th Annual Berry Festival Friday, July 19 Featuring a berry pie contest, free berry tasting, berry pancakes and a berry sorbet fundraiser for the Market. Vendors highlight berries and berry products. River Ridge Organics is USDA certified berry farm near Mouth of Wilson. You can find their berries at the Friday and On-line Farmers Markets. River Ridge donated the berries for the Sorbet fundraiser that is a highlight of Berry Day. This year, sorbet will be available by the bowl or frozen pint. Chef Jen Cavey will be making pancakes with berry syrup to benefit the Market as well.
Enter the Berry Pie contest sponsored by The Grayson County Historical Society. In keeping with the historical theme, this will feature traditional berry pies. Pies are limited to crust, and simple berry filling. The winning entry will receive $100. Please bring your pies to the Market by 9:30. Judging will begin at 10 am.
The Berry Festival began with one of our earliest vendors and board members Steve Mabe’s( most of you may know him as the sweet potato man) suggestion.

Kids Corner-DIY Stress Balls For Kids!
2019-07-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Town Park
Join us Friday, July 12th from 10-11 am at the Kids Corner to celebrate Wellness Day by making your very own stress ball! Kids of all ages are welcome and activities are always free.

Wellness Day
2019-07-12 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Wellness Day features many local healthcare providers and offers free health screenings and activities for the community and vendors. Community partners include VDH, Twin County Hospital, In Total Health, Virginia Tech Family Nutrition, and more. Wellness Day began in 2015 in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health.

Cooking Day at the Market
2019-07-05 10:00 - 12:30 | Town Park
Come to the Market and see what’s cooking today!. Learn how to cook fresh, local food. Samples are available and donations are appreciated.

Kids Corner-Make your own garden snack!
2019-07-05 10:00 - 11:00
Join us Friday, July 5th, from 10-11 am, at the Kids Corner to put together your very own healthy AND tasty garden snack! Children of all ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free.

Kids Day
2019-06-28 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Free fun for the whole family during the entire Market! At Kids Day, learn to throw a lasso, print with wood blocks, milk a “cow,” and have fun hula hooping and playing games. All activities are free and open to kids of all ages. Community partners include Cowbody Don, 4H, Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Discovery Center, local artist Ellie Kirby, hula hoops with Laura, Girl Scouts, and Bessie the wooden cow. Kids Day began in 2012 and was our 1st Farmers Market Event. It remains one of the most popular activities at the Farmers Market and led to the addition of the Kids Corner every Friday from 10-11 while Grayson County Schools are closed for the summer.

Ice Cream Social Fundraiser
2019-06-23 14:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Dairy Month with our 3rd Annual Ice cream social fundraiser Sunday June 23 from 2-5pm. We close down Courthouse Street and serve ice Cream with delicious homemade toppings and desserts. $10, kids under 10, $5. All proceeds go to fund the Farmers Market.

Kids Corner-Nature Crowns
2019-06-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Town Park
Join us this week at the Kid’s Corner from 10-11 am to make NATURE CROWNS! Kids of all ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free.

Kids Corner-Seed Bomb Lollipops
2019-06-14 10:00 - 23:00 | Town Park
Join us at the Kid’s Corner on June 14th at the Independence Farmers Market between 10-11 am to make SEED BOMB LOLLIPOPS! Kids of all ages are welcome to participate and activities are always free.

Cooking Day at the Market
2019-06-07 10:00 - 12:30 | Town Park
Join us the first Friday of the month, beginning in June, for Cooking Day. We make an array of dishes from whatever is available at the Market. Learn how to cook fresh, local food. Samples are available and donations are appreciated.

Farm Day
2019-05-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Wagon Wheel Farm, Independence, VA
Join us Sunday May 26th from 2- 5 pm at Wagon Wheel Farm, 1322 Gold Hill Rd, Independence VA for an afternoon of hands-on activities. See and try out some of the best market garden tools. If you’ve taken our “Grow More Vegetables” class, you’ll see those spacings and planting ideas in the ground and growing! Learn to make a worm bin and prepare logs for mushrooms. Tour the greenhouse, high tunnel and field. Plant sale and Free kids activities. We’ll repeat the demonstrations 3 times. Worms and Vegetables will start on the hour: 2,3 and 4pm. Mushrooms and growing great transplants will start at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30. Rain date is Sunday June 2, same time and place.

Celebrate Seeds and Pollinators May 17
2019-05-17 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Sarah Ross, founder of Social Roots will join the Market from 9am to 1 pm Friday May 17. Social Roots promotes heirloom plants that are particularly well adapted to the South. One of the goals is to get people “hooked” on heirlooms. An heirloom is a plant variety that has a history of being passed down within a family or community, similar to the generational sharing of heirloom jewelry or furniture “It’s important to reconnect our Southern heritage foodways with heirloom vegetables and our local farming landscape.” Sarah continues “It’s about getting back to our history and our agricultural roots. At Social Roots, we grow and distribute seeds that are as healthy for the planet as they are for your table. Looking ahead, it’s important to develop varieties of plants with greater resilience to meet the outcomes of our changing world, particularly along the coast,” Social Roots founder Sarah Ross explains. “These are bulletproof varieties that can be grown virtually anywhere.” Saving seeds is something we can all do to protect our favorite plants. Varieties are dropped from seed catalogs every year. If you have a favorite open pollinated vegetable or flower, it’s pretty easy to save seeds so that you can pass them on to the next generation.
Social Roots has distributed free seeds to individuals, schools, scout troops, community gardens, family farms and chefs.
A perfect partner for Social Roots is Pollinator Day also on the 17th. Most plants require pollination to set seeds. We need bees and other pollinators so that we can save seeds from our favorite plants. World Bee day is May 20 and Mickey Cunningham will help us celebrate early with our own Pollinator Day. Mickey is a local beekeeper and head of the Honey Show at the Grayson County Fair this year. He will bring a demonstration hive and other information on bees

Grand Opening and Mother's Day Craft Fair
2019-05-10 09:00 - 13:00
Join us for the opening of the 2019 Market Season in Town Park! We’ve invited area artisans to join us Opening Day so you can find a perfect gift for Mother’s Day.

Pre-season Vendor meeting
2019-04-05 11:00 - 14:00 | Grayson LandCare/IFM office, 104 Courthouse Street, Independence, VA, United States
Have you thought about becoming a vendor at the Farmers Market? Here’s your chance to join returning vendors and find out about the coming season and enjoy a potluck lunch. Join us from 11-2 at the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 104 Courthouse Street.
1) Please join us at 11 am. We’ll cover rules, fees, online market and more.
2)If you are a crafter joining us for the 1st time, please bring 3 representative items for jurying.
3) If you plan to sell canned or baked goods or offer samples,including meats, please plan to stay after for a presentation by Sandy Stoneman.
Looking forward to a another fun and fabulous season!
