Despite cold weather, Farmers Market persists

By Kelly Burns, For The Miami Student

A cool breeze blew through the Oxford Farmers Market on Saturday. The sun was out and crowds of children, students and adults milled through the aisle of stands. The temperature was in the high 60s.

Oxford residents brought their dogs and families to peruse the dozen or so stands. A group of adults sat in the center, playing lively folk music to set the mood. People stood in small groups in the middle of the aisle, chit-chatting and enjoying the weather.

While the weather was beautiful and the mood was festive on this Saturday in February, it was not typical.

The Farmers Market is popular in the fall and spring seasons, drawing in students and Oxford residents alike. However, when the winds bite and the temperatures drop below 20 degrees, the volume of customers decreases.

Generally, the market draws between 200 and 300 people in the winter months. The weather often discourages people from lingering at the market.

"Last month was pretty cold," said Nancy Wadleigh, a regular customer, "I knew exactly what I wanted, I came in, I got it, I left."

At one point, the farmers considered moving the market indoors for the duration of winter. They later decided, however, that it would defeat the point and ruin the experience of going to a farmers market.

In the winter, the market is only open on the third Saturday of every month. On each of these occasions, vendors stand in the cold and snow, trying to sell their products. Instead of the multitude of fresh produce in the fall, venders sell baked goods, winter vegetables, wood carvings, preserves and hand-made crafts.

Even with the freezing temperatures and frequent snowfall, regulars of the market continue to come, if in shorter visits.

Five years ago, a woman pulled up to the market in her car. She said she wanted to shop, but it was just too cold to get out of her car. Larry Slocum, the market manager, cleared a path for her so she could pull up to the stands she wanted to visit. She picked out which goat cheese she wanted, paid and drove away.

The weather is even a challenge for the vendors.

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"I'm a seventh generation farmer," said Debra Bowles, the woman who sold the goat cheese all those years ago. "I know how to stay warm in the winter, but when you're standing in one spot, even though you're talking to people, it's very difficult to stay warm in the winter market."

Bowles also recalled how the vendors had to keep their wares inside of coolers in the winter - not to keep anything cool, but to prevent the food from freezing in the low temperatures.

"We posted some pictures on Facebook and you'll see it's snowing," Slocum said. "It looks like someone photo-shopped it."

The weather of last Saturday was more typical of a fall or spring market and the crowds responded accordingly. However, this was not the usual February Farmers Market.

The weather got colder. The market got smaller. The large crowds became less normal. The wares changed with the season. The only thing about the Oxford Farmers Market that remained the same year-round was the festive atmosphere and friendly attitude of everyone there.