Farmer’s Markets

June 5, 2018

This week, our neighborhood farmers’ market – Polk’s Produce – reopened for the summer. We were one of the first in line to buy peaches, tomatoes, delicious Silver Queen corn, and small yellow squash that looked like they had been picked that morning. I have a soft spot in my heart for Polk’s because when I was food editor of the Savannah Morning News, back in the 1970s, my office on Bay Street was around the corner from Polk’s market in Ellis Square, where Vinnie Van GoGo’s pizza place is now located. On my lunch break, I’d trot over to Polk’s and choose home delicious fresh produce for supper. When I left the newspaper in 1984, I was asked what I’d like for a parting gift. My response was a painting I had seen by Mary Adams of Polk’s Produce. It’s a treasure.

Savannah is fortunate to have several produce markets to keep customers happy. Wilmington Island Farmers’ Market and Davis Produce provide options for the island crowd, and the Savannah State Farmers’ Market on Highway 80 services west side communities. But there is no question that the star of city is the Forsyth Farmers’ Market, which operates in a gorgeous 30-acre city park on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Expect to see lots of people, lots of pets, and lots of vittles. You can find fresh pecans, all sorts of herbs, area-produced rice, homemade cheeses, a wide variety of produce, grass-fed meat, locally harvested honey and homemade bread. The mission of the market is to connect buyers and sellers with quality foodstuffs, and this market certainly does that. In addition, the organizers of the market also provide outreach in the form of a Farm Truck 912 that takes items into underserved neighborhoods. If you like this idea, you can make a donation to the Farm Truck on the Forsyth Farmers’ Market website.

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My husband and I always try to stop at markets as we are driving around the state. One we can recommend is Farmview Market on Eaton Road near Madison, Georgia. This is an enormous operation that has meats, produce, and specialty items. You can eat breakfast there, too.

My grandparents were farmers, and I know the work that goes into a vine-ripe tomato. It’s well worth a few extra dollars to support today’s farmers.