BUCKHANNON – The Buckhannon-Upshur Farmers Market is back with fresh, local produce and new Saturday morning hours this summer.

Buckhannon-Upshur Farmers Market President Donnie Tenney said the Farmers Market will start offering their goods on Saturday mornings and during their traditional Wednesday and Friday hours, too.

Beginning this Friday, June 2, the market will be open at Jawbone Park on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

“A long time ago, the farmers’ market was only on Saturday morning, and over the years with Festival Fridays, that just became a pretty good combination, but there’s a lot of people who say Friday evening isn’t convenient,” Tenney said.

He said the market hopes to cater to both Friday evening and Saturday morning shoppers this year.

“Friday will be available for those who like going in the evening and maybe seeing some entertainment, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. will be for those who prefer to come to the market earlier,” Tenney said. “On Saturday, we’re hoping to have some food and beverages and some different fun, educational activities for the kids to make it a family morning activity.”

Tenney said customers can expect quality produce from local farmers on all three days.

“June’s a little early for tomatoes, but I think we might have a few tomatoes, and then we have new potatoes, kale, carrots, sugar snap peas, onions, lettuce and more, and we have a pretty good selection of baked goods and desserts,” Tenney said. “I know a lot of us are totally organic farmers; we don’t use any chemicals, and the good thing is people can buy fresh, local produce because anything from the store is two weeks old by the time it gets there.”

“Once people taste the difference between local fresh, pesticide-free produce, and the stuff they get from the store, they’re going to be excited about it,” he added.

Tenney hopes extending their hours to an extra day will encourage more people to shop at their local farmers’ market.

“If we don’t get the support, then we can’t afford to stay in this, so it’s a double benefit: people get great produce and they help the producers pay the bills,” he said. “We just need to get more people to come out and participate at the farmers market.”

Vendors may sign up anytime at the WVU Upshur County Extension office, located at 91 West Main Street, Suite 102, in Buckhannon and pay the $25 fee there, which covers the entire year. Find out more information about the Buckhannon-Upshur Farmers Market by calling 304-473-4200 or visiting their Facebook page.