The growing season is in full swing in Knox County and that means a bountiful supply of locally grown, fresh produce is available at the Mount Vernon Farmers Market.
Two dozen vendors set up on Public Square each Saturday morning to provide a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and herbs – all grown within 25 miles of downtown Mount Vernon. Shoppers will also find meats, baked goods, cut flowers, granola, goat milk soap, honey, unique jellies and maple syrup.
Customers can ask produce farmers how they grow their crops and for recipes. Whether you’re looking to get healthy, or just want to try new fruits and vegetables, the market is the place to go.
It’s been a good year for produce so far in Knox County. Strawberries ripened earlier than in 2023. And the cucumbers, beets, zucchini and many other vegetable harvests are abundant as we head into July.
“Good weather and good luck [are] always a great combination and we have seen that for a vast part of the state (until the recent heat wave). We did have a relatively mild spring with ample moisture this year. That certainly helped all produce. Some sweet corn is being harvested in southern Ohio and that crop is looking great as well,” said Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Local sweet corn should make an appearance at the market in mid-July. Ask any sweet corn lover in Knox County and they will tell you that local sweet corn tastes the best. And the same goes for tomatoes, onions, and herbs. Freshness is guaranteed when the vegetables are picked a day, or just hours, before the market.
The market offers several incentives to make shopping accessible to those at all income levels.
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Produce Perks
- Fruit & Vegetable Program from Produce Perks
- Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
- WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition Program
- Knox County Task Force for Older Adults Eat Fresh, Eat Local program
- Produce Rx offered by Knox Community Health Center
SNAP and Produce Perks are income-based programs as well as the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The SFMNP has been modernized for 2024 and is being coordinated by the Ohio Farmers Market Network in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Aging.
Staffers from the local WIC office will be on hand at the market for the next several Saturday mornings to distribute their coupons for qualified women and children up to 5 years old.
Questions about any of these programs can be directed to Market Coordinator Marty Trese at Farmersmarketmountvernon@gmail.com.
