STARKVILLE – Greg Sharp woke up in his house here at 4 a.m. on Saturday. He drove to his farm in Bradley and washed the fruits and vegetables he had set aside to sell at the Starkville Community Market.
He divvied them up and placed them in woven baskets or little cardboard containers. He put everything in the trailer attached to his pick-up and drove to Lafayette Street, between Main and Lampkin streets, in downtown Starkville.
By then it was 6 a.m., and people were forming a line at his Boardtown Organics stand.
At 8, upon the market”s opening, he began doing business.
A camouflage-patterned lawn chair stood folded up behind him as he bagged fruits of his labor and took money in exchange for them. His stock – of eggplants, cherry tomatoes, heirloom slicing tomatoes, large scalloped squashes, bell peppers, wax peppers, hot peppers and cantaloupe plants – was dwindling fast.
Helen Takacs, of Starkville, a regular visitor to the market, walked away with one of Sharp”s cantaloupe plants, two of his large scalloped squashes and six of his heirloom slicing tomatoes.
“And I would”ve gotten the eggplant if he hadn”t sold out,” she said, “but he sold out right as I got here.”
By 9, all he had left was a couple of the large scalloped squashes and three cantaloupe plants. “They about wore me out this morning,” he said, while taking a breather.
Sharp, who began selling produce at the market last month, has noticed business picking up as the Saturdays tick past.
As he was selling out, the other produce vendors at the market were too.
“It”s such a good problem to have, isn”t it?” said Tammy Tyndall, the market”s manager and one of its co-founders. “… And it”s not even 9 o”clock. I thought they”d last a little bit longer than they did.”
Greater variety
The market attracts more people than it did last year, when it was established, and more vendors are selling things, from coffee to candles to children”s books, yet the atmosphere remains relaxed.
The feel of the market keeps Don and Ginger Autry coming back.
The couple began selling their jams and vegetables, straight from their D&G Farms land in Wren, last year and, despite the market”s growth, continue to feel secure in letting their two children, Glen Allen, 2, and Abbygail, 4, run around with the other kids at the market.
The street is closed off, so vehicle traffic isn”t a concern, and the market-goers are good company. “It”s just a nice, kind, friendly atmosphere,” Don Autry said.
For him and his wife, the concern is keeping up with demand. Since last year they have doubled the number of acres they reserve for farming, from 24 to 12 out of the 100 they own. And whereas last year he spent most of his time working as a home health care nurse, nowadays he spends most of his time farming, so when Saturdays roll around he is ready.
“We”ve got the customers, but it”s really, really hard to have enough for everybody,” he said.
People have asked the Autrys for many vegetables, and they have complied. Besides tomatoes, peas, corn and okra, they began planting leeks, Asian eggplants, Thai hot peppers and even Napa cabbages. They enjoy offering a wider diversity of crops.
Anita Winger, of Starkville, who has been selling her friendship breads at the market since last year, said she has noticed the growth too. This year, she has had more regulars coming by and picking up the same products, Saturday after Saturday.
Evolution and expansion
Heath Kleinke, who was selling his framed illustrations and the children”s book he wrote, said as the community market grown, it has played a major part in expanding the artists” collective The Cre8tive Warehouse, of which he is a member. Since last year, it has jumped from three to 15.
The market also serves to keep people updated on the latest at the collective. “It”s a good place to go without advertising what’s coming up,” he said. “People get interested in what you”re doing.”
Even the music has evolved since last year. The Boardtown Boys have performed at almost every community market, after coming together principally for its sake, and band member Tom Henderson said, “We”ve kind of taken on a certain style, kind of merged some of our different styles into a unified sound – a market message.”
“The fact that we”re still here,” he added, “is, I think, a good indication.”
The Starkville Community Market is open Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to noon, through the last Saturday in October. For more information on the Starkville Community Market, visit http://starkvillecommunitymarket.com.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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