Growers prepare for Farmer's Market at Ace Hardware set to begin April 4

Article by Mary Alice Murphy

Photos by Sandra Michaud

John Justice, a small farmer in the Mimbres Valley, is promoting expansion of the local farmers' markets and working to develop a co-op where, when producers are busy, others can sell their produce and products and bring the proceeds back to them.

Justice grows strawberries, as well as different types of blackberries and raspberrries. He also has begun a patch of purple asparagus, which should begin producing this year. A large greenhouse grows greens, beans and sugar snap peas. Cauliflower and turnips, as well as elephant garlic are also in the growing stages.

Some of the farmers are already showing up at Ace Hardware on Wednesday mornings, in advance of the official opening of the Wednesday Farmer's Market to begin April 4.

Justice said he takes some of his fresh greens, and Navidad, who lives in the Cliff-Gila Valley, owns E-Z Does It and already has brought fresh eggs, free-range chickens, organic lamb and goat milk, to Ace on Wednesday mornings. Her customers look for her.

Rick Bohart of Pollo Loco Tomatoes in the Burros Mountains will have tomatoes in about a month.

"I'll have lots of greens by the time of the official opening," Justice said. "I'm not quite ready. On April 4, I'll have purple asparagus, too."

He said the ultimate vision for the Farmers' Market at Ace is to expand the opportunities, not only for small farmers, but for customers to have fresh food on Wednesdays that might not last from Saturday to Saturday.

Saturdays, starting in mid-May, are the traditional days for the Silver City Farmers' Market, which has a more established clientele. Ace, he said, draws a different group of customers.

Value-added products, such as pickled green beans, pickled asparagus and picked elephant garlic, as well a homemade jams and jellies, will also be available and can extend the farmers' market season.

The Mimbres Valley is also attempting to revitalize its own Farmers' Market. He noted that an apple grower in the Mimbres could sell at all three markets.

Ashley White of Proverbs Farm and Dairy also sells some of Justice's fresh produce at her certified raw milk dairy.

Justice said the Ben Sine, owner of Mountain Ridge Ace Hardware is very supportive of the Farmers' Market.

The Farm Bureau is trying to expand the Future Farmers of America program to let the kids grow items for sale at the farmers' markets, with Mimbres resident Don Luhrsen promoting the program.

Alicia Edwards of Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, is working on having one manager for all the markets to deal with WIC and food stamps to make them more widely available and less costly for the markets to be able to let customers use them.

Justice said Edwards also has acquired funding for two greenhouses at schools, so the students can grow products, sell what they grow and learn responsibility and how to run a business. She is also working to expand farmers' markets into Bayard and Hurley.

"We're trying to get momentum growing to give people, who want to work, a tool to sell their products," Justice said. "It's good for everybody."