The Union-Recorder
The Union Recorder

MILLEDGEVILLE — The Milledgeville Marketplace farmer’s market will launch a new season next week, replete with a fresh crop of regionally-produced fruits, veggies and homemade goods.

The market, launched in spring 2009, is a prized production of Milledgeville Mainstreet and for the community at-large, serving as a downtown attraction for visitors and locals alike while also creating a local stage for regional vendors. By promoting locally and regionally grown goods and produce, Milledgeville has not only discovered another way to keep money local but also takes another step in furthering the mission of the National Children’s Study and Live Healthy Baldwin initiative and its components, from the community garden to the school garden programs that have recently been established, all aimed at promoting healthier lifestyle options for the community.

Milledgeville is fortunate to have a local resource where residents can stop by and hand-pick their own tomatoes, herbs and breads on the way home from work and have it on the dinner table in the same evening if they choose. Even beyond that, the market allows the next generation of locals with purchasing power to see food more closely to its original source, which could potentially go a long way in helping to foster better nutrition choices in their futures. 

The Marketplace is open downtown on East Hancock Street on Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. now through the fall. Each week, the market features items from artists and artisans, and freshly-baked goods and produce.

Tuesday’s kickoff will feature live music and other entertainment as well.

The items are all regionally, if not locally produced, yet another way to promote the many aspects of life and community in Baldwin County. It’s also a great way to promote a local focus on healthier eating habits and better nutrition and another way to shop local and celebrate all that Milledgeville has to offer.