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By Kathleen Whitlow
Summertime in the city of Richmond is full of outdoor activities that can be experienced by everyone in the community. In addition to the festivals, restaurant patios & decks, outdoor concerts, art shows, historical celebrations, and open-air events, Richmond is also home to one of America’s oldest public farmers markets. Just like the saying goes, “to know a city is to know its farmer’s market,” which definitely applies to Richmond’s 17th Street Farmers’ Market.
The location of the 17th Street Market has been a community congregating area since 1737. The structure itself was built in the mid 1980’s. Of course, the marketplace is best known for its growers and farmers, who come to sell their carefully grown and cared for goods, however, the market is also home to crafters and vendors, selling everything from hand made jewelry to pottery and art, and a wide array of vintage, antique, and collectible items.
The market is open three days per week on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday is known as the “Fresh Market”, which is specifically for growers and bakers, and is open from 8:30am to 2pm. On this day you can find a variety of locally grown organic and hometown produce as well as domestic, handcrafted items. Saturday is known as the “Bohemian Market”, which is geared towards growers and a variety of unique craft vendors, and is open from 9am to 4pm. Here, you will also find locally grown produce from farms in the area and also a mix of handcrafted and vintage items. On Sundays, the “Vintage Market” showcases any and everything that the 17th Farmer’s Market has to offer, and is open from 9am to 4pm. The Vintage Market sellers bring antiques, collectibles, jewelry and premium arts & crafts made by local Richmonders.
Although the market brings in a variety of newcomers with new products each and every season, many of the vendors that participate in the farmer’s market have been coming here to sell their goods for years.
Rosa Flemming is one such vendor. Flemming has had a vegetable stand in Richmond’s 17th Street Farmer’s Market for fifty years. She is the fourth generation in her family to sell produce at the market, in the very same stand that her family started fifty years ago. Flemming’s veggies come from her family’s farm, Allen Truck Farm. Besides selling her fresh produce, Flemming started a hot dog stand four years ago, which is connected to her vegetable booth. “I wanted my customers to be able to taste my vegetables,” she says. The hot dog stand serves hot dogs with your choice of toppings, including Rosa’s Vegetable Stand grilled veggies. The stand also sells chips, cold drinks, and serves breakfast starting at 8am on Thursdays.
Mary Kroll has been selling her goat milk soaps at the 17th Street Farmer’s Market for five years. Kroll and her husband own Wild Heaven Farm, where she milks the goats herself to make her goods. Kroll began making the soaps after seeing the idea at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. After selling her soaps at a few venues, Kroll began to participate in the farmer’s market. “It wasn’t until I did 17th Street that I actually started to grow my business,” says Kroll, who receives repeat business from the customers that regularly come to the market. Besides the soaps, Kroll also creates products for baby and mama, and men’s products, such as aftershave, and custom soaps. Kroll sees the farmer’s market as a great way to raise awareness for the betterment of the community and to introduce the people in the area to wonderful handmade products and homegrown produce. “You can come down here on a Thursday and get a pair of earrings, fresh veggies, and a bar of soap. There is a cornucopia from which to choose.” www.vagoatsoap.com
Bob Hansen is one of the antiques vendors that came to the 17th Street Farmer’s Market to sell his goods, but also to relax. Hansen used to buy out estate sales in New Jersey and accumulated a wealth of antiques and household items. On any given day, Hansen will sell children’s toys, Tiffany antiques, crystal, movies, and furniture pieces, just to name a few. Basically, if you name it, Hansen has it, or at least something close. “This is an ideal place for people who have had garage sales and have leftover items, Hansen says, “Or people like me who just have a variety of everything.” Besides selling his items for the apparent profit, Hansen comes to the market to unwind. “I enjoy being here and consider this mainly a hobby. It relaxes me. This is also a great place to meet people of all kinds, from all walks of life,” says Hansen.
Nichelle Setzer has been selling her handmade jewelry at the farmer’s market for a little over three years. Before selling her jewelry at the market, Setzer started out doing piecework for a friend’s company and then decided to go into business for herself. Setzer’s jewelry business, Setzer Designs, showcases all of her beautiful, carefully crafted pieces. The pieces that Setzer creates are made using semi-precious stones and seed beads. Each of the designs is sketched by Setzer herself and then created. When asked how she comes up with the ideas for such distinctively awe-inspiring pieces, Setzer replied, “I dream up the pieces. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and have to sketch a piece.” Just as many of the other vendors, Setzer loves the fact that, at the Market, there is such an incredible, eclectic group of people and that it is such a family-oriented place.
Jim Jenkins is one of the crafters at the market creating some of the most unique pieces of art ever seen. Jenkins uses different varieties of wood and creates boxes with one-of-a-kind shapes, literally. The boxes are all about the size of a jewelry box; in fact many of them are used for that purpose, specifically. The boxes all have tiny drawers that follow the shape that the box itself has taken. Jenkin’s distinctive craft is just another one of the many reasons that the 17th Street Farmer’s Market is such an exceptional place. www.jimjenkins510.etsy.com
Ruth James has been a part of the Market for a little over ten years. James sells used and rare collectibles, clothing, hats, bags, and jewelry. “I’m like a gypsy,” says James. The items that she carries range from vintage furniture, to rare furs. “I like coming here because of the diverse crowd and the history that this market brings to this part of the city.”
Joann M. Harper, better known as “The Bottle Lady” at 17th Street, brings her collection of bottles to the market to sell to history lovers. Harper went to a dump in Montgomery, Alabama and dug through the piles and piles of junk, only to discover tons and tons of old bottles that had aged for quite some time. Some of the bottles had turned a stunning light bluish-green color because of the nutrients in the soil. The bottles that she sells range from old root beer bottles, to ink bottles, to perfume bottles. Truly, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Richmond’s 17th Street Farmer’s Market is home to a diverse crowd of vendors who have something to offer every member of the Richmond community. Richmond has such a cultural flavor that is definitely expressed through our Farmer’s Market. Take a trip down to 17th Street where you can find handmade necklaces, soy candles, vintage hats, and hot dogs with fresh veggies, along with a history lesson about our great Capital City. |
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