Marietta, GA |
Every Saturday morning, Marietta Square becomes a melting pot of local farmers, chefs, and small business owners — and hundreds of visitors who come to shop, sample, and connect with the people behind their food. What started more than two decades ago as a vision inspired by a trip to the Green Market in New York City has grown into one of Georgia’s most celebrated farmers markets.
“On the way home from New York, my wife Suzy said, ‘Let’s see if we can do something like this on Saturday mornings in Marietta.’ We already had a business on the square, but we thought this would be a real community enhancement,” said Johnny Fulmer, Marketing Director for the Marietta Square Farmers Market. “We started out with eight vendors and it grew from there. Now we have approximately sixty-five to seventy vendors every Saturday with local products.”
The market has earned the title of Best Farmers Market in Georgia from multiple publications — and the reason comes down to more than just the produce. It’s the relationships built across a folding table that keep people coming back week after week.
“You’re building a relationship with a local farmer. Hopefully you’ll know his practices, how he’s growing the product. And at the end of the day, on the consumer side, it’s the freshness,” said John Gerald of Mama J’s Produce. “Picked Friday, brought here Saturday — versus the grocery store, where it might be three days old, a week old. You just never know.”
That freshness is something Lynn Teddlie of Straight from the Backyard Farm takes seriously. For her crops, even a day makes a difference.
“Okra, cucumbers, and squash — you have to pick every other day or they’re going to be too big. We never refrigerate anything or put it in a cooler. We always pick the day before,” Teddlie said. “Not only does it taste better and have more nutrients, it’s going to last a month or longer in your fridge.”
“You can talk to the farmers, understand the seasonality of your produce, how it was harvested, understand the herbs and their seasons,” added Brittany Woodard of Planet Wellness Co. “You can support local in your community instead of the big box retailers — and it’s often much fresher.”
Beyond the freshness and the relationships, access to this kind of variety has real implications for public health. Registered Dietician Sherry Coleman Collins says markets like this one play an important role in closing a significant nutritional gap.
“Fruits and vegetables are so important for health, of course. We know that eighty percent of Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables — and that’s true across the country,” Collins said. “In an area like Marietta, having easy access to a variety of fruits and vegetables ensures that our population has a healthy diet.”
For the farmers who set up their tables each Saturday, the market represents far more than a sales opportunity. It’s the payoff for a full week of early mornings, long days, and physical labor — and the gratitude of customers who understand what went into it makes it worth every bit of that effort.
“I think a lot of folks are aware of where we’re coming from and how it’s not that easy — and they appreciate it,” said Jody Kaufman of Jody’s Farms. “I just want to say thank you to everybody that is now understanding it.”
For the Marietta Square Farmers Market, Saturday morning isn’t just a shopping trip. It’s where community and agriculture meet — and after more than twenty years, the line to get in is still just as long as it’s ever been.