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"This is a small town market with big city tastes. They always have new and tasty events. I look forward to attending each Saturday morning bright and early."

"Growers only, highly engaging activities (chef demonstrations, music, crafts), very well managed and GREAT and HEALTHY food."

"The variety is outstanding and the farmers are great."

"Absolutely outstanding local produce and foods. Also other items like baskets. And entertainment by musicians and chefs each week. Sometimes competitions as well."

"It's fresh, it's intimate, it's convenient!"

"Every week new products showing up, fresh as possible... new chef's teaching us how to cook, wine experts, music what more can a girl want on a Saturday morning?"

"All of the products come from a 50 mile radius, so there is no question as to whether it is local. Also, the vendors have a family present every week so relationships are built over time. This is a Saturday morning family tradition to have breakfast, purchase wonderful food, flowers and crafts and enjoy local community. During the summer, there are wonderful cooking demonstrations from local chefs. Not only are the market products highlighted and good food shared but local restaurants get additional exposure."

"Our farmers market is the best I've ever been to because all the produce, meats and eggs have been... grown by the very people who sell them to me, within a 50 mile radius of my home. There is no comparison to chain stores offering masses of one variety of each well travelled produce item. Greens at my farmers market are crisp and succulent, carrots are sweet beyond belief, eggplants and peppers are glossy and firm, berries are deeply red, like juicy jewels and I had never before experienced a fresh egg before shopping at this market. Aside from the outstanding quality of foods at this farmers market, there is an atmosphere of friendship and goodwill engendered by the common interest of giving our families the best food that we can find, as we support sustainable agriculture and the dedicated and hardworking farmers that provide the amazing gift of real food, cleanly grown, only hours out of the ground..."

What's In Season Locally

On Saturday, July 31, look for :

Matthews Community

FARMERS' MARKET

Local Folks, Local Farms, Local Food

Celebrating our 19th year - Open Year-Round on North Trade Street in Historic Downtown Matthews, NC

Regular Season Saturday Market:

7:15am-noon, April - November

Wednesday Market: 11am -1pm, June 9-August 25

Winter Market: every other Saturday, 8-10am,

December- March

The Matthews Community Farmers' Market is the largest, most diverse producer-only farmers' market in the greater Charlotte area. Customers buy food directly from local farmers - that's as fresh, tasty and nutritious as it gets.

All food and other market products are produced within 50 miles of Matthews. The market provides the community with locally raised foods as marketgoers help preserve the tradition of small farms in the area. Customers make a direct connection with the source of their food and get to know the person or farm family who grows it.

During our regular season market, enjoy cooking demonstrations by top local chefs, relaxing live music and farm craft presentations. You can even get your culinary questions answered and learn basic food prep skills at our weekly Chefs' Secrets class. And, our special events schedule is always full of family-friendly activities and fun contests.

While we enjoy our canine friends, the fact remains that we are a food-based marketplace. For sanitary, health and safety reasons, we ask that you leave your dogs at home. Guide dogs and dogs that provide services are welcome with their human handlers. Thank you!

This page was last updated: July 30, 2010

Customers' Comments That Won Us A Top 75 Spot In The America's Favorite Farmers' Market Contest.......

Headliners:

freestone peaches

melons

sweet corn

sungold cherry tomatoes

slicing tomatoes

crowder peas

blueberries

okra

sweet and hot peppers

red, gold, white and fingerling potatoes

Other Produce: cucumbers, assorted summer squash and zucchini, crowder peas, arugula, greenhouse lettuces, micro greens, garlic, natursium flowers and leaves, basil, parsley, chervil

Meats: pastured pork (chops,ribs,unseasoned ground pork, Italian sausage, bratwurst, chorizo,breakfast sausage, boneless ham roast, shoulder roast, shanks, backbones, uncured bacon, prosciutto, lard), grassfed beef (steaks, roasts, brisket, stew beef, ground beef, ground beef patties, soup bones, short ribs, cubed steak, sliced beef liver) , pastured chicken (whole and cut up) free-range quail

Other farm products: local honey, eggs from free-range chickens, soft goat cheeses, goat milk feta cheese, hot pepper products, salsas, jams, pickles

Baked goods: cookies, crostatas, bagels, tarts, European pastries, biscotti, pound cakes, assorted cookies, cinnamon rolls, assorted muffins, scones, fruit and nut breads, yeast breads (French, Italian, challah, ciabatta, focaccia, semolina, white, rye, German rye, sprouted spelt, brioche, sourdough, harvest grain, whole wheat, olive, spelt and more) pretzel bites

Candies: violet, vanilla bean, chai and pink grapefruit infused truffles

Cut Flowers: lilies, yarrow, verbena, lisianthus, sunflowers, gomphrena, zinnia

Upcoming Special Events - July 31

Chefs' Secrets Class - at 7:30am, Sous Chef Josh Kielman, Garde Manger Chef Jesse Cash and Luca Annunziata, chef-owner of Passion8 Bistro will demonstrate how to make creme brule.

Cooking Demonstration - at 8:30am, Adam Reed, chef-owner of Sante Restaurant

Music - starting at 9am listen to melodies played by Matthews classical harpist Amber Carpenter and Waxhaw flutist Jennifer Murray.

Our new community outreach program challenges market customers and farmers to donate fresh produce during market to help feed hungry local residents who turn to the

food pantry of the Matthews Help Center for assistance. Coolers marked with the above sign will be in the market information tent. Please give!

Plants and Shrubs: assorted hostas, landscape , red raspberry plants, currants, paw paw, succulents,

Transplants: patio tomato plants, assorted herb plants (mints, basils, tarragons, parleys, dill lovage, thyme, sage, cilantro, lemon verbena, stevia, fennel, resemary, borage, calendula, cutting celery, rue, valerian, lavender, comfrey, cumin, chives, lemon grass, lemon balm, bergamot, chamomile, bay, feverfew, salad burnet) scented geraniums

Crafts: hanmade pottery, handmade baskets, handmade soaps, cedar grilling boards

Don't forget to take advantage of our free pepper roasting service offered from 7:30 to 11 am at the front of the market!

Tomato Tasting Day and Best Market Tomato Contest Winners

Market customers nibbled and savored their way through dozens of tomato varieties at our June 24 Tomato Tasting Day - then they voted for their favorite variety grown by market farmers. With almost 150 votes cast, the winners were:

Large tomato category:

1st prize: French Carmello grown by Garden of the Woods

2nd Prize: Goliath grown by Hinson Farms

3rd Prize: Opalka grown by Laughing Owl Farm

Small tomato category:

Sungold grown by Fisher Farms

Black Cherry grown by New Town Farms

Sungold grown by Garden of the Woods

Shop On Wednesdays

Our new mid-week market is open every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm at our regular market site. Great fruits and vegetables, meats, baked goods, cut flowers, crafts and more offered by almost 20 vendors. Come down and restock your fridge! List of participating vendors and what you'll find at market.