Staff Writer

As people take to the streets for the annual May Day Festival in Kennebunk, vendors of the Kennebunk Farmer’s Market will set up their tables for the 17^th season since the group started. 

“People think farmer’s markets are a curious thing,” market event coordinator Tami York said.

But she said she hopes opening the market in conjunction with May Day and offering other events throughout the season will encourage residents to buy locally and eat fresh.

“I think there has been a real renaissance of farmer’s markets, not just in Kennebunk, but across the country. People have concerns about where their food is coming from and the quality of the produce,” York said. 

Owner of Mud Meadow Farm and market manager Janet Weaver said after a few years of rebuilding, the market has nearly 26 vendors and customers can expect between 11 and 14 of them each Saturday. With local support, the market becomes a weekly event.

“This is a true farmer’s market. It’s designed specifically to encourage and support sustainable agriculture in southern Maine,” Weaver said. “Vendors must produce the products or produce themselves. You will never find bananas or pineapples at the market, and you won’t find tomatoes in May.”

Other than growing  produce in southern Maine, Weaver said vendors are required to be licensed where applicable. They must certify kitchens for cooked goods, have a sign displaying their name and where they are from, and either have the owner or an employee on hand at the market.  

“[They are there] so you can ask questions about the produce or products. It promotes a certain quality because they stand behind their products,” Weaver said. 

Farmers who set up shop every Saturday, have most likely picked the produce either the day before or that day and sell the freshest vegetables in season, York said. 

York said the market also offers products such as handmade soaps, gourmet cheeses, baked goods, meat, fish, crafts and yarns from various southern Maine vendors. 

“We have a nice base of vendors who work together as a team, and it is different than any other market I have seen,” Weaver said. “The events make it even more fun. It has become a fun, social thing to do with regular customers coming every week.”

With multiple farmers selling different varieties of fruits and vegetables throughout the season, Weaver said it is a different experience than shopping in a grocery store. She said in organizing vendors to participate, the market does not restrict what vendors sell as long as they produce it themselves and provide an environment of “healthy competition.” 

Opening day is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The market will be open weekly through Nov. 21 in the Kennebunk Pharmacy parking lot. Events to be scheduled include a sheep and spinning demonstration day in June, “Backyard Poultry Day” in July, the second tomato tasting in August and apple tasting in either September or October. 

Staff writer Emma Bouthillette can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 237.