CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Come out and support your local farmers in Charleston this weekend and buy the goods they produce across the Mountain State.
The Winter Blues Farmers Market will be held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
State Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt said it’s the 16th year for the market that will bring in 120 venders comprised of West Virginia farmers and those in the agriculture industry selling their wares and products.
Kent Leonhardt
“It’s a free event, it’s a family event, come out, buy the products from these farmers and get to know your farmer, know your food,” Leonhardt said.
Those from the West Virginia Grown program will also be at the event.
Leonhardt said the local producers will be selling different kinds of meat products, confections, honey, maple syrup, and various kinds of food.
Speaking of winter blues, Leonhardt said that while this winter has proved to be a particularly harsh one, from an agricultural standpoint, all of the precipitation comes as a positive outcome regarding the crops this year, especially after pulling out of the ongoing drought from last year.
He said it has been a tough time for farmers in general, however, but this event helps lighten the load for them a little.
“Winter Blues is a time for people to come together, see their friends and family, see their neighbors like the old time markets when our state was first formed, and people can just come out and get to know their farmers and get those goods that they will really enjoy,” he said.
Leonhardt said the event has been a proven success in the last 16 years it has been held, bringing in thousands of consumers from across the state.
He said it’s held simultaneously with another networking event for the ag industry.
“We do this in conjunction with our Small Farm Conference where a lot of our farmers come together and learn and share experiences and ideas on how to make their farms more profitable,” Leonhardt said.
This year marks the 21st year of West Virginia’s Small Farm Conference through WVU Extension. It supports the state’s 23,000 small farm families.
Leonhardt said these events support farmers and agricultural businesses in such a tough but crucial industry.
“That’s one of the toughest businesses, but it’s also one of the most important businesses in our nation, because we all have to eat three times a day.”