CHINA GROVE — Spring is here, and with its arrival is the desire to get out and plant or enjoy the bounty that others have planted and will be offering at various farmers markets.

One such is the China Grove farmers market, which will be opening on May 7 and held every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Main Street Marketplace, 308 S. Main St., China Grove.

This season will mark the 15th year for the area farmers market and the second that the marketplace has served as host for this special summertime event.

The market is held from May to August, and additional vendors and sponsors who want to participate can still sign up by contacting Brianna Caraccio, who serves as the market and program manager at Main Street Marketplace as well as the manager of the China Grove farmers market.

There is an application for vendors to complete. It can be found on the farmers market Facebook page or by reaching out to Caraccio directly at brianna@marketandmeeting.org.

The market is held each week in the parking lot of the Main Street Marketplace. Tables and chairs are provided for vendors, said Caraccio, and there is an awning where some vendors can set up. This space, she added, is a first come first serve area; therefore, those who prepay for the season get first spots under there.

There is additional space for vendors in the parking lot, which, she said, can be used and blocked off. Extra parking is available behind the house next to the organization thus providing plenty of parking space for attendees.

Cost to participate in the market, which runs 18 weeks, is $10 per week or $120 for the entire season.

Caraccio said they have a good variety when it comes to vendors currently participating with items available for sale ranging from produce, eggs and meats to soap, flowers, coffee and baked goods.

One huge request they have had is for chicken, but at the time didn’t have anyone selling this. Other vendors they don’t currently have is someone selling starter plants, she said.

However, “people are always looking for produce so the more we can have of that, the better,” Caraccio said.

In addition to vendors selling items, they are also searching for organizations or individuals to partner with them to offer activities.

At the present time, she said they have the Rowan Public Library, the Cooperative Extension and Rowan Food and Farm Network partnering with them and will have tables set up.

In the past, organizations have provided recipe tastings, food demos, story time and the children have made seed balls to take home.

“If there are other organizations in the area that want to partner and offer something to the community, we are open to that,” she said.

A vendor meeting is planned for April prior to the start of the market where Caraccio will provide needed information to participants including rules and regulations.

One thing she did note to those considering becoming a vendor is that this is a local market and therefore, everything sold must be locally grown. Nothing purchased from another state can be resold here.

“The focus of our market is to be able to offer local items to everyone in our community,” she shared. “We as an organization are trying to establish relationships with the farmers and businesses and community members.”

Along with getting vendors and going through applications and taking care of the social media, Caraccio also works to get sponsors for the farmers market.

There are four different levels of sponsorship ranging from $100 to $1,000 and goes toward vendor fees, helps to keep costs down and provides the space and allows for activities, she said. Sponsors will receive advertisement for their business and will be included on print materials, website and social media. 

Those wishing to become a sponsor can also contact her for information and the form which is to be filled out.

The farmers market drew about 780 customers throughout the season last year, and she would encourage the community to come and visit this year for multiple reasons, one being the local items they have available.

The vendors “put so much dedication and real passion into what they are providing,” she said.

One of the new vendors this year is Meredith Garcia with Good Ground Coffee of Concord, and she said she wanted to participate because she thinks it is “an exciting thing for the community to bring everyone out and to support the community in the way that they can.

She added that she loves the center there in China Grove and it has been a dream of hers to be able to participate and be in that space and meet people.

Garcia plans to offer a variety of items including hot and iced lattes, some teas and Italian soda, some kids’ drinks including lemonade and a fancy chocolate milk, a few baked goods and coffee accessories such as the beans she uses which is a Salvadoran coffee from Salvadoran farms, cups, a French press and cold brew maker.

Her coffee, she added, is locally roasted in Charlotte.

Returning vendor, Don Zufall with The Zufall Soap Company in Kannapolis, said he participated last year for the first time when they moved to their current location.

And while sales were slow to begin with, he said as the season went on and the market grew, and more learned about the location, sales improved steadily from week to week.

At his booth, Zufall said he will be offering old-fashioned lye soap, with only vegetable ingredients and no animal ingredients.

He said he made the decision to return to the market because of organizers being very proactive “in asking everybody how can we do better.” He said that they didn’t tell people, they were asking.

“They were very interested in learning from the experience and getting other people’s knowledge,” Zufall added, including those who have participated in other farmers markets and implementing those suggestions. 

The more people that come and support the market, “the more that we all thrive,” Caraccio said. “You’re supporting local businesses, local farmers. It’s contributing to your health, the environment and also just a sense of community.”