Lake Ella Grower’s Market Offers Residents Organic Options
Farmers handed out samples to the spectators.
Photos by Christopher Lampley
By Christopher Lampley
Outlook Writer
Residents passing by Lake Ella on Wednesdays will see tents filled with vegetables, honey and brown eggs.
That’s when local farmers sell their homegrown products to customers at the Lake Ella Grower’s Market in Tallahassee. The weekly market allows customers to buy farm-grown items at cheap prices.
One word was continuously spoken all day: organic.
“I feel as if the products we sell give people that old-school, childhood memory feel. Nothing like growing and picking your own food,” Annette Layton said. Layton and her husband own a farm located in Thomasville, Ga., and have consistently been at Market Wednesdays for one year and three months.
Layton says that she makes between $50-$100 each week at the market.
“I just like selling organic items as well as my bread and other fixings,” Layton added.
The market features a lot of diversity in products such as honey, herbs and pita sandwiches. You could almost say that there are even more producers than natural farmers. Ari O’Hara, who is fairly new to the market, produces herbal essences for the skin.
“I have been out here for three months and business is steadily picking up. I’ve been producing herbs for about 10 years and I just wanted to expand my horizon,” O’Hara said. Along with the herbs, O’Hara makes lip balm, tea and bug repellents.
According to most of the sellers, business comes in waves.
“You can definitely tell when the college students are back in town, they make a huge difference in business out here,” Sarah Pierce said. Pierce, who does management for Orchard Pond Organics, was on hand for the market. “We like what we do and what we offer so the more business, the better,” Pierce added.
The market, which is held every Wednesday at Lake Ella, runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The market also features farmers from counties surrounding Leon such as Wakulla, east and west Gadsden and Monticello.
