Saline Farmers Market Opens Saturday

Saturday is opening day for the Saline Farmers Market.

Market Manager Nancy Crisp said there will be 18 vendors on hand for the first outdoor market of the year, which takes place from 8 a.m. until noon in the municipal parking lot on South Ann Arbor Street, just south of Michigan Avenue.

According to Crisp, the market has built up a loyal customer base because it offers a variety of quality produce and handmade crafts.

"People know what to expect from the Saline Farmers Market. That's why they keep coming back," said Crisp.

So early in the year, fresh produce is limited. Crisp hopes the asparagus will be ready for opening day. And she expects lettuce will be available. Typically, she said, the early markets are known for their flowers and shrubs.

"Saturday we'll have perennials, annuals and cut flowers. You can also expect hanging baskets and shrubs," Crisp said. The market will also sell vegetable and herb plants. A master gardener from the Michigan State University Extension program will be on hand to provide gardening advice.

Although most produce isn't in season, there will be food for sale. Crisp said locally-produced cheeses, breads and baked goods, eggs and coffee beans will be sold. New this year is a vendor selling hummus. 

"We have a wonderful selection of baked goods. Sometimes,people  stand in line to buy the freshly baked pies," Crisp said.

The Saline Farmers Market was created in 2000 after Mayor Gretchen Driskell attended a Michigan Municiapal League presentation and learned how farmers markets can postively affect a downtown. The market launched with a three-week trial run in the fall of 2000. The Saturday market launched the following spring. Devulder Farms, which sells vegetables, platns and flowers, and Karpo Farms, which sells the homemade pies and wide variety of fruit, have been with the market since that first spring.

Crisp helped develop the market and has been manager from the beginning. 

The market takes place from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday through October. The Tuesday market runs from 3-7 p.m., from June through September, at the Saline District Library. The Winter Indoor Farmers Market, which runs November-April, is moving to Liberty School this fall.