With the Intracoastal glistening just beyond the stalls, the Ponte Vedra Friday Farmers Market has traded its old home for a new waterfront location that has quickly elevated its profile.
The popular farmers market now sets up each Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Palm Valley Outdoors, 377 S. Roscoe Blvd., right along the enchanting waterway.
Retired dentist Leslie Taylor told The Citizen that she launched the venture in April at Peace of Heart Community Farm just down the road.
But the event quickly outgrew the rustic space, and she and co-founder Anthony Ahrens of Bee Pollen Farms began scouting for a new location.
NEW FOOD TRUCK AND RETAIL HUB COMING TO ST. AUGUSTINE
The pair mulled a spot next to Palm Valley Outdoors, a bustling restaurant on the Intracoastal, and Taylor placed a hopeful cold call to owner Paul Rohan.
“He thought about it for a few days and agreed. They’ve been really great through the whole process and just encourage us to keep going and growing. It’s been phenomenal,” Taylor said of the collaboration.
Organizers say the vendor count has climbed to about 25, with more expected as fall — prime farmer’s market season –approaches.
The event offers shoppers a mix of fresh produce, farm goods, artisanal foods, and handmade items.
Taylor, who now fashions soaps and lotions as a vendor, said the popularity of farmers markets shows no signs of slowing.
Locals, she said, are increasingly wary of indecipherable ingredient labels and faceless producers.
“It’s the safety of knowing where your food and other goods come from,” she said. “With so many products we use, we don’t know where their origins. I think people want to know the source, and they trust the growers and providers that we have.”
