Chamblee Tucker Farmer's Market

^{Freshly picked local blackberries available at reasonable prices}
This Saturday market is set up in the parking lot of the Northeast Baptist Church from 9-12. The day I went I arrived at about 9:15 and there were about 10-15 people there, with about 10 or 12 vendor tents. Despite being small, they were especially friendly and offering a few unique choices in their stalls. There was a woman who had soaps, jewelery, and personalized dog tags (not soldier’s, dogs). Another, Miss Betty, sold jams and preserves and pickles made in her kitchen, from produce out of her garden. I bought some scuppernong jelly from her. I also bought a bunch of dandelion leaves from a farm just because it was unique to see someone with dandelion leaves. I’ll make a salad with some, and smoothies with the rest. I thought $3 a bunch was a bit pricy. She tried to sell me a bunch of parsely at $3 a bunch, which is about 3X what it costs at the Buford Farmer’s Market. This is not unusual, either. Herbs are one thing that are hard to get local-grown at a decent price. Parsley, and most herbs, are grown in either hot houses or under conditions that require little or no pesticide treatment, so even the market brand is healthy, and often certified USDA organic without special effort. I read there is practically no fresh-herb supply founded in the US, at least at the hot house level. Transportation networks are such that nurseries and farms in Mexico and Central/South America can ship fresh herbs in a timely manner anywhere in the States. It is a shame for local suppliers; fresh herbs is about a 200 million dollar business. All of it going to brokers and foreign farms and markets.

Even though I was there early, I bought the last 8 peaches from a woman who was musing that she should have brought more. She was selling them 3/$1 so I’m not surprised they were going quickly. They came from Byron, GA, making me think that the crops are moving north now and with a couple of weeks we will be seeing peaches from S. Carolina. Last year and the year before we got excellent peaches from S. Carolina.

From another vendor I bought some healthy looking pepper plants to replace my withering squash and stunted collards. $2 per plant. A lady at the next stall was selling bags of fresh figs for $1. There was a woman selling home-baked bread but I didn’t buy any. Everyone was friendly and willing to indulge my questions and picture taking.

The market runs from late April until the end of August. It is small, but quaint and well stocked. Just ITP and on a well-known road, it sees lots of traffic from people out on a Saturday morning.