• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




New Winter Farmers Market opens in Oak Ridge on Dec. 3

Posted at 10:20 pm November 22, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-winter-farmers-market-logo

The new Winter Farmers Market in Oak Ridge opens Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the gym at St. Mary’s School, December through February.

 

From hand-roasted coffee to hydroponically raised tilapia, the new Winter Farmers Market, by Grow Oak Ridge LLC, is offering a brand new experience in Oak Ridge.

The market opens Saturday, December 3, bringing more than 40 local food and artisan vendors indoors for the first time ever in the Secret City. The market will be located in the gym at St. Mary’s School gym, which is at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge. It is open every Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., December through February (closed December 24 and 31).

“I started planning this market last winter, when I realized several farmers come all winter long and stand out in the cold in Jackson Square,” said Rebecca Williams, founder of Grow Oak Ridge LLC and director of the market. “I asked them if they’d rather keep warm, and they said yes! The mission of Grow Oak Ridge is to support the local food system, be an incubator for small businesses, and create a community gathering spot in Oak Ridge.”

A portion of all vendor fees will be donated to the St. Joseph’s Food Bank at the church, which is donating the space.

“We have lots of new vendors to Oak Ridge, including two food trucks every week,” Williams said. “We hope folks will come to shop and stay for lunch, and we hope families take advantage of our free weekly Kids Club, which offers a craft or game for children at the market.”

Advertisement

The market will accept debit, credit and SNAP/EBT cards (food stamps) as well.

“It’s really important to me that we attract young families, and that we help everyone reap the benefits of locally grown foods,” Williams said. “Local produce is always freshly picked and hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for a week, which means it’s higher in nutrients than vegetables shipped from California. Plus, eating locally benefits our local economy.”

Customers who sign up for the weekly Grow News email, which lists weekly vendors and specials, are entered to win a drawing for $20 Market Dollars on Opening Day, December 3, at noon, said Williams. Sign up for emails at www.GrowOakRidge.org. The website also has a complete vendor list and product search feature.

“We have a wide range of products, such as hydroponic lettuce and tilapia, handmade soaps and skin care products, artwork, home roasted coffee and artisan crafts, antibiotic-free beef, pork and chicken, fresh eggs, artisan breads, locally grown produce, and more. Plenty of vegetables can be grown in the winter using hydroponics and hoop houses, which are like big greenhouses,” Williams said.

The market is being patterned after Nourish Knoxville’s successful farmers markets, Williams said. That nonprofit runs both the Market Square Farmers Market and the indoor Winter Market at Central United Methodist Church.

“Nourish Knoxville has been so helpful in answering my questions,” Williams said. “They let me come and observe their market last winter, and we’re doing things in much the same way. I tremendously respect the way they run their markets and their work to promote locally grow foods, and hope to bring that success and enthusiasm for local foods to Oak Ridge.”

All vendors who attend must make, bake, or grow the items they sell, said Williams. “We’re a producer-only market, which is a mark of quality among farmers’ markets. We hope everyone will come out and get to know your farmer, and where your food comes from.”

The Winter Farmers Market by Grow Oak Ridge LLC is a member of the Farmers Market Coalition.

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: farmer's market, Farmers Market Coalition, Grow Oak Ridge LLC, Oak Ridge, Rebecca Williams, St. Mary’s School, Winter Farmers Market

Advertisements

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Business News

THDA grant will help with down payment assistance in Oak Ridge

Pictured above in front row are, left to right, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Housing Authority Commissioner Tom Beehan, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, state Rep. John … [Read More...]

Horizon-Center-Motorsports-Track-6-Feb-11-2020

Motorsports park will not be built in Oak Ridge

Part of the site where a test track and research facility or motorsports park was proposed on the back side of Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak … [Read More...]

The Other One Diner moving to Turnpike

The Other One Diner and Dive is moving from Grove Center to Oak Ridge Turnpike, the restaurant announced Tuesday morning. Because of the move, the restaurant will be closed for the rest of the week. When it … [Read More...]

City of Oak Ridge Seal

Planning Commission to discuss site plans for storage facility, apartments

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will discuss a site plan for the planned storage facility at Main Street Oak Ridge and apartments on Emory Valley Road on Thursday. The storage facility would be built along … [Read More...]

Lavender Festival Overview

Lavender Festival will not be held this year

The annual Lavender Festival in June 2014 is pictured above in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (File photo by Ray Smith) The Lavender Festival will not be held again this year, organizers announced Sunday after … [Read More...]

More Business

Recent Posts

  • THDA grant will help with down payment assistance in Oak Ridge
  • Demolition work at ORNL radioisotope lab could be complete this spring
  • Final Breakfast with the Legislators of the year is Monday
  • Roane State has training exercise Wednesday
  • Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge this weekend
  • National Park Service asks for public comments about Manhattan Project Park
  • DEA Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday
  • Register online now for ORICL summer courses
  • Roane State to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Oak Ridge for students & employees
  • ORAU will support COVID-19 communications for CDC Office of Minority Health & Health Equity

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today