Think urban town centers don’t mix with farm fresh produce? Think again! The Raleigh Downtown…
The Southern Village Farmers’ Market has to be the most convenient farmers’ market I have ever visited. Southern Village itself was designed in accordance with building “a new old community,” complete with restaurants, shops, offices, medical facilities, even a movie theater. While these businesses are included in its central brick layout, residential buildings and homes encircle the central businesses and community space. It just minutes south of Chapel Hill and bike paths run through the entire community.
Located in the center of Chapel Hill’s Southern Village community, the farmers’ market is minutes away from these neighborhoods, and only steps away from my summer internship at the North Carolina office of The Conservation Fund.
Each Thursday, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. vendors set up their wares outside of the lawn and stage where Southern Village hosts concerts, movies, and more. On a very late lunch break, I hit the stalls and tables looking for a little snack that would take me to the end of the work day.
I definitely had options to choose from. Fresh pastries abound from Pomegranate Kitchen, as do home baked bread and rolls from Bread & Butter, and special honey from Just Bee Apiary. Fruits and vegetables are also plentiful of course, and come from Eco-Farm, T-5 Farms, Better be Ellerbe Peaches, and more.
Still, nothing I saw was quite satisfying my afternoon hunger pangs. It was a warm, summer day, so as soon as I set eyes on the big, juicy strawberries near the cash register I knew I had found my snack. Fresh, local, delicious, and close to the office, what more could I ask for?
Though the Southern Village Farmers’ Market is currently small with around a dozen vendors, it is always looking to expand with new producers and craftsmen and women. With the lawn and parking area of Southern Village open on its Thursday time slot, there is plenty of room for more veggies, more baked goods, and more everything!
