The forty-first annual Fayetteville Farmer's Market started their season this morning at 7 a.m. on the square and was visited by many families, dog lovers and people of all ages.
Vendor coordinator Teresa Maurer said eighty percent of the market is produce and farm goods and the other twenty percent is soaps, jams and crafts. The market has close to 70 vendors from the surrounding four counties.
The first Fayetteville Farmer's Market started in 1973 and had only six vendors. It was started to give the struggling local farmers another place to sell their goods.
One local moved to the area from Dallas and said the Fayetteville Farmer's Market offers something the city market did not--- the personal touch of a smaller town.
"You see friends all the time, there's local music, local produce, and everything... so it's a real local event that just feels like at home," said Taylor Wood.
To help out local families, cash is not the only option for payment. They also accept EBT and are now offering a program where a person can swipe their SNAP card and receive double the credit to buy fresh local goods. A grant from Walmart is paying for the bonus credit.
The farmer's market will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays on the Fayetteville square.
Maurer said they will also be opening a Sunday farmer's market in May. The market will be located near the old Jefferson Elementary school.
Numerous local farmer's markets started recently. The Rogers Farmer’s Market is already underway, the Springdale farmer's market started Thursday, and the Centerton Farmer's Market opened today. In Bentonville, the farmer’s market starts April 26th.