SALISBURY — Making the Salisbury Rowan Farmers Market a fun place to be for all ages is what Leigh Anne Powlas, the new manager, wants to focus on for the market.

Born and raised in Salisbury, Powlas is married to Salisbury native Keith Powlas and they have two daughters, Megan, 15 and Grace, 13.

Powlas said her husband worked in forestry and they sold their farm to be able to travel with him, which they did for three years. However, they are back now and the family lives on their Salisbury farm where they have nine goats, close to 25 mini cattle, rabbits and chickens. They also work a garden, mostly for the family as she does lots of canning and preserving. 

We “just have fun doing the garden,” Powlas said. “I’ve had a garden since I was a kid.” And while her husband hasn’t done much with gardening, she said he always wanted to, and they work the garden together. They also have honey bees and work the hives and sell honey. Therefore, Powlas is no stranger to gardening and the work that goes with it.

A listing for the farmers market position was posted on Facebook, which her husband first saw and the couple discussed it. She realized this was something she would enjoy doing and talked with others about it and decided to fill out the application.

Powlas said she was “excited about the opportunity. I love Salisbury. I’ve been here my entire life. Outdoors and gardening and promoting local and people that are trying to do business here is something I’ve always done because we have a small family farm. I try to support others that do the same. And so it was just super exciting to think about the farmers market.”

Having been a stay-at-home mom taking care of the children and homeschooling them, she has not worked outside the home for 15 years, but Powlas said she thought this would be great as she would be doing online marketing and posting and being physically present at the market just the one day, plus the many other positive aspects of being outdoors and getting to be with people, telling that she is definitely a people person.

And “I get to be with people that like produce and fresh foods and fresh items, and I thought ‘this is something I can do.’”

After applying for the position, she said several friends told her that “if there is a job made for you, that’s the job.”

And while Powlas said that it has been a challenge, it has also been fun.

“I’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to do, but it’s been a joy so far.”

Currently, there are 21 vendors committed to participating in the farmers market section and 24 craft vendors.

She said they would be hosting a monthly craft market on the first Saturday of the month located in the gravel parking lot with the other market in the main market area and side parking lot where music will also be set up once a month.

In addition to these vendors, Powlas shared that the Agriculture Extension Office will have a donation station on the third Saturday of each month where they will host cooking demonstrations and have fun events as well as collecting donations for Meals on Wheels.

Additional events she is working to have at the market include having blood pressure checks and other services, having “community organizations come in and offer things for the community that may not be as accessible right here in town,” Powlas said. “The goal is to have something event-wise every week.”

Some monthly fun events in the works include a tomato tasting in July where if gardeners grow tomatoes and think they have the largest, they are encouraged to bring it in where it will be weighed. At the end of July, an award will be given to that person with the biggest tomato.

The same is planned for August and watermelons, she said.

Powlas is also looking at having a chili cookoff in the fall, scavenger hunts for the children and is considering an art walk for the children as well.

“We are going to do a lot of events to bring in the community,” events for all ages, she said, and wants the market to be more of a destination than just a stop.

While the vendor spots for the main farmers market area are filled, Powlas said they are still looking for craftspeople to participate and want crafts that are handmade and locally produced for the space. 

She is also anticipating July being kids’ craft month for the craft market that first Saturday and is putting out the word for any children that have a craft such as making jewelry, crocheting, sewing, things produced by children to come out. And if there are children bakers that can follow the prescribed baking guidelines for the market, she would love to have them too.

The market officially begins April 20 with hours, all season, being 8 a.m. to noon. It will be closed the week of Thanksgiving and close for the season Dec. 21.

While there won’t be items like tomatoes or squash yet with the opening being in April, Powlas said there would be produce such as lettuce, some greens, onions and other items including herbs, honey, flowers, meat from local meat producers, and a baker, and shortly there should be strawberries.

“The market should be very full,” she said.

One new addition will be food trucks, and she is looking to “alternate food trucks that fit in for morning hours and local chefs that cook local” and give them an opportunity to come make something to promote their restaurant or if they want to teach or highlight a local item available at the market.

Those wishing to receive an application to be a craft vendor, have a food truck or as a chef, or have questions, contact Powlas through the Salisbury Rowan Farmers Market Facebook.

The market is a fun event and a local place where you can find just about everything you want, she said, and it’s about community, and would encourage people to come for these reasons.

The market, she said, is where you are “able to visit with neighbors and have a safe place to come, a kid-friendly place to come, a senior place to come. We are here for our community to provide food, nutrition, education and fun for everybody.”