Shelby's best-kept secret

Letter to the editor

In my opinion, Shelby's "best kept secret" is the new Foothills Farmer's Market, which began the end of April, will continue throughout October and is located on Washington Street across from the courtsquare.

I am excited that Shelby has this unique farmers market specializing in all locally grown and produced items. I am, however, saddened that so few of Shelby's and surrounding area's residents know about it. 

Sponsored by the Uptown Shelby Association, Chamber of Commerce's Travel and Tourism, and the Cleveland County Cooperative Extension, the first requirement of every vendor is that they become certified as a local grower. A representative from the Cooperative Extension visits each farm or entity of production to ensure that those items brought to the market are indeed grown or produced here at home and not purchased from other markets in other states. 

For a new market there is an amazing array of locally produced goods. Tired of bland chicken, beef, pork and lamb, pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones? At Foothills Farmer's Market you can place your order or purchase right on the spot completely pasture raised chicken and meat processed only the day before market time. Freshly processed honey, bursting with the combined flavors of our county's wild flowers and grasses; freshly grown Shitake mushrooms; a vast array of freshly picked produce, some picked in the morning right before market opens; watermelons; blueberries; farm fresh eggs; totally unique items such as beautiful yarns made from the fleeces of alpacas raised and shorn right here in our county; all naturally raised meat ducks and turkeys.  

The only things missing are the folks of Shelby. The market atmosphere is in a lovely setting and affords local citizens a chance to get out and take a stroll in beautiful uptown Shelby on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This local area has an amazing variety of farms. Foothills Farmers Market offers all an opportunity to enjoy some of the fruits of local farmers' labors. In its infancy, the market is not perfect and weather conditions affect some of the growth and production, but, by golly, it's a good market. Let's get behind it and support it. It'll be a win-win situation for us all. 

Carmen Coles
Blueberry Hill Farm
Grover, NC