The Pampa Farmer’s Market will run every Saturday until Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. until vendors sell out at Tractor Supply’s parking lot. This weekend, The Pampa Farmer’s Market will be combined with Tractor Supply’s Farmer’s market, which is hosted twice a year.
Vendors will be selling vegetables such as pumpkins, zucchini, green beans, squash, black eyed peas, lettuce, peppers, onions and much more. All of these vegetables are grown by local farmers and gardeners. Baked goods, salsa, jams and jellies will be available, as well as handmade items such as goat’s milk soap and Halloween signs.
“We are going to allow vendors to sell handmade Christmas decorations toward the end of October also,” aid Natalie Zarante, the organizer for The Pampa Farmer’s Market.
“We decided to extend the farmer’s market through October so that people could come out and get their Halloween pumpkins,” said Zarante.
It will also give vendors the opportunity to sell goods from their fall harvests before winter sets in.
“I moved here five years ago from Denver (Colo.), and before that I lived in the suburbs of Chicago. There were always farmer’s markets and when I moved here, there was none of that. I realized that if I wanted a farmer’s market, I would have to start one on my own,” said Zarante, who has reached out to hundreds of local gardeners and farmers in the Panhandle since she started putting this together a few years ago.
The Pampa Farmer’s Market will be looking for a larger, more permanent location in the coming year.
“Tractor Supply has been very generous to allow us to set up in their parking lot, but if we want to grow it into a real business then we will need something of our own,” said Zarante.
“We are also hoping to be able to set it up to allow SNAP benefit customers to shop with us next year. It means we will have to start charging vendors a little bit to cover the cost, but I think it would be beneficial to the community.”
Potential vendors are encouraged to message The Pampa Farmer’s Market’s Facebook page.
“We want everything to be hand-crafted or home-grown,” said Zarante. “We will also allow different types of food trucks to come in on occasion depending on what they sell.”
The Pampa Farmer’s market is an opportunity for the community to choose the very best produce for their families and provides a true “farm-to-table” experience. Customers can speak directly to the person who grew or crafted what they are purchasing.
“We recommend that shoppers come out early to get the best variety of vegetables. We also ask that people bring small bills and bags to put purchased items in if at all possible, although a couple of our vendors do bring bags on occasion.”
For more information about the Pampa Farmer’s Market or to become a vendor, you can go online to their Facebook page.
