By Timothy Bradfield
Correspondent
The "Get Fresh with a Farmer" T-shirt slogan used by the Battlefield Farmers Market in Rock Spring, Ga., appropriately summarizes the market's requirement -- vendors must grow all the produce they sell to participate.
Rebecca Durham, co-owner of Durham Farms in Tunnel Hill, is one of dozens of people who set up shop at the market.
"It's fun. I love it," she said.
It's also business.
Mrs. Durham and her husband grow and sell produce to generate their primary income, she said. Their goal is to attract customers to their farm, she said, and going to the Battlefield Farmers Market is primarily a way to advertise.
"You're always trying to bring more (business) in," she said.
The Battlefield Farmers Market got into business six years ago with the help of a federal grant. The nonprofit organization is sustained by a $20 annual membership fee and a $5 per-visit set-up fee.
Anyone who lives in Walker County or a bordering county can become a member, officials said. Outside of those areas, those interested in joining must be voted in.
Market officials said they have a yearly average of about 60 vendors, and the majority are growers. Other vendors include bakers, jewelry makers and soap makers.
IF YOU GO* What: Battlefield Farmers Market* Where: Behind the Walker County Civic Center, 10052 Highway 27, Rock Spring, Ga.* When: 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, through Nov. 13.* For more info: www.battlefieldfmkt.org
"It's more or less like a family gathering or a family reunion," Market Manager Karen Bradley said. "We have a lot of folks that are very consistent customers."
She estimated that 10,000 people visited the market in 2009.
Joyce Plaster, of Chickamauga, stopped by the Battlefield Farmers Market for the first time on Saturday, just as vendors were calling it a day. She bought spring onions and a loaf of sourdough bread.
"I'm just sorry I didn't get here soon enough to get all the good stuff," she said. "They've got a lot of things here that impress me."
Timothy Bradfield is based in Walker County. Contact him at timothyb2010@gmail.com.