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Farmers' Market Opens in Downtown Waterville

Posted on: Saturday, 6 May 2006, 00:03 CDT

By Amy Calder, Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

May 5--WATERVILLE -- First Lady Karen Baldacci was among those who turned out Thursday to open the new Downtown Waterville Farmers' Market.

Helping to support Maine farmers and eating fresh and healthful foods is important, she said.

"If we want Maine farmers to exist tomorrow, we have to invest in our Maine farmers today," Baldacci said.

Organized by the Waterville Main Street Program and sponsored by MaineGeneral Health and Johnny's Selected Seeds, the market will be open 2-6 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 28.

Baldacci urged patrons to arrive early to make sure they get to buy the good stuff. She said the thing she likes most about farmers' markets is that one gets to have a conversation with the farmers and learn about their products first-hand.

Baldacci came to the market Thursday from Fairfield, where she took part in the filming of a farm series show for the local access cable channel.

It was filmed at Sunset Flowers and Greenhouses, which was represented at the market Thursday.

"The bottom line is, your sustainable agriculture is alive and well in Maine," she said.

Fresh venison and eggs, soaps made from goat's milk, herbs, alpaca wool, plants and flowers were among items featured at the market, held in The Concourse off Main Street.

Shannon L. Haines, executive director of the Main Street Program, said the market had been a dream of hers. At its peak, it will feature 19 vendors.

"Thank you for sharing in that dream and making it happen," she said.

"Come back every week and make sure you know what's new at the market."

Gail Shields of Flying Fox Nursery, of Burnham, was selling flowers, shrubs and other plants she grows at her 29-acre farm.

"I specialize in dwarf conifers," she said. "I have horizontal spruce and it gets 18 inches high and it spreads out like 10 feet around. It's very rare. It's very hard to get the graft to take."

Shields pointed to a Japanese garden juniper, with a price tag of $50.

"It's used over and over again in a Japanese garden motif because it has fabulous texture and it will spread nine feet around," she said. "It loves the sun."

At a booth next to Shields, Raini Perry of Palermo was selling wool from her alpaca farm.

"I will bring the animals here occasionally," Perry said.

Gail Evans, MaineGeneral's senior vice president of marketing and strategy, said MaineGeneral will maintain a presence at the market with information about nutrition and health. MaineGeneral gave away free cookbooks Thursday.

Others helping to kick off the market were City Administrator Michael J.

Roy; Jill Conover, marketing and public relations manager for Johnny's Selected Seeds; and Seth Bradstreet III, commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources.

Waterville resident Patricia Gorman, who also is chairwoman of the planning board and a member of the Main Street promotions committee, strolled through the market, which opened under sunny skies.

"Isn't this great?" Gorman said. "I love it; in fact, every Thursday I'll be down here to get something fresh. It's a perfect day, too."

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Copyright (c) 2006, Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

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