FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Fayetteville Farmer's Market continued its regular Thursday market on Independence Day.
While everyone was off and gathering for the celebration, farmers at the Fayetteville market continued to harvest their crops into the Fourth of July. According to the National Retail Federation, more consumers plan to spend Independence Day at a cookout than at a fireworks celebration. They projected consumers would spend $9.4 billion on food items for the holiday.
Robert Wulff said he was visiting Northwest Arkansas from D.C. to visit his childhood friend, retired professor Donald White.
"We grew up together in St. Louis, went to kindergarten and high school together, and he's been a professor here for 40 years," Wulff said. "We're both turning 80, and I said it's time to come out and see my friend, Don."
Wulff said in his 80 years of life, he remembered spending time at the National Mall drinking and screaming out the Beach Boys as they performed. These days though, he spends his time thinking about how the Founding Fathers put everything on the line for freedom.
"Now, I'm way more introspective," he said. "I don't go to the mall and the Beach Boys are gone, and I just think about how lucky we are that ... those men and women did what they did, and here we are. Part of it is that now there's some pressure on democracy, and you can't take it for granted."
Wulff spent some time in Bentonville visiting Crystal Bridges and decided to visit a local market on the morning of the Fourth. He's one of many shoppers looking to fill their picnic tables with items brought up by the roots of America.
"Watermelon, corn, cantaloupes, berries, tomatoes, lettuce for the hamburgers, a little bit of everything sells on Fourth," Todd Robinson of McGarrah Farms Rivercrest Orchard said.
Another farmer said the holiday doesn't stop his business.
"The crops, they don't know about holidays. We have to harvest. We have to sell. So that's why we're here today," owner of Bermuda Valley Farms David Tankersley said.
Despite the influx of customers and a busy season, both know this time of year is about more than food
"We had a lot of our friends and customers would come out on the Fourth and we would smoke ribs and pull pork and all kinds of stuff," Tankersly said. "We've had as many as 80 to 100 people out on the Fourth and shooting fireworks and just celebrating the idea that America is the greatest place in the world."
"It's not just about the fireworks and eating good food," Robinson said. "It's about being able to get together, get grandma out, and get everybody out, and get to see everybody, visit with everybody."
Wulff said it a joyous holiday to reflect on the past, present, and future.
"To me, it's an outgoing holiday. It's you want to be with friends. You want to celebrate. You want to you want to think about happy thoughts and about, you know, the past and how joyous it can be," Wulff said.
After 46 years in the area, the Tankersley family is putting their farming days behind them. The owner explained that this Fourth of July would be their last day selling produce as they've sold the farm and are ready to retire. They'd like to spend time with their grandchildren and will travel America in their RV.
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