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Mary Bergstrom's Southern Hills Lavender farm, a vendor from last year's market, offers food, fragrant soaps and flowers. The products are now offered at the Chocolate Toad on Trade Street.
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Farms offered a variety of produce and meats last year at the Farmers Market.
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Chad Manaton brought produce and cheeses from Clemson routinely last year to the Farmers Market.
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The Foodies Farmshop will become an anchor at The Depot at 300 Randall Street Suite G with the opening scheduled on April 7. That also coincides with the Greer Farmers Market that will shift locations from the Greer Florist parking lot at E. Poinsett St.
Christy Ray, who developed the highly successful Farmer’s Market last year, is the owner of the Foodies Farmshop and farmer’s market, which will host up to 40 vendors adjacent to her store.
“We will have locally grown products – fresh produce, meat, eggs – and feature old world type artisans,” Ray said of the store. “We want to maintain an 80/20 ratio, food products to artists.”
Artisans will be held to a minimum 50 percent hand cycled and up cycled products.
Ray said a charcuterie (dried meats) and artisan cheeses featuring 15 flavors will be among items offered. “We’ll have tastings weekly for our products,” Ray said.
The Farmshop will open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily.
“This will be more of a home for us,” Ray said. “The traffic is good as far as exposure for use and the market.”
Lowe’s Foods, which is opening its first store in the upstate, across from Riverside High School on Suber Road later this year, may partner with Ray. Discussions are ongoing, according to Lowes Foods President Tim Lowe. “We feature more than 2,500 locally grown products in our stores and hope to work out something with Christy,” Lowe said.
The farmers market will run Thursdays April 7 through Oct. 27, 4-7 p.m. “There’s little going on around the area on Thursdays so we should do well. Last year was terrific,” Ray said.
Greer Farmers Market was held on Thursday last year and drew vendors throughout the upstate and shoppers from local restaurants resulted in requests for weekly produce.
Vendor applications for the market are available Monday though March 1.
The Foodies Farmshop moved into the suite that hosted Carolina Vine & Branch, a multi-flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars.