Farmers Markets in Full Bloom in Smyrna-Vinings

Spring means farmers market season in Smyrna-Vinings. Farmers Atlanta Road Market kicks off the growing season with its first market of the year Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at .

Dane Lorio, the market’s organizer, said patrons can still expect to find local produce sold by the farmers who grew it. He said he supports local growers because it’s important to the local economy and because the food just tastes better. But more importantly, he said buying locally grown food is the right choice for his family.

“I am the head chef in the Lorio household and when I am feeding my family something that I know was grown, prepared or raised in a responsible way I feel much better about what I am putting on their plate,” he said.

F.A.R.M. got its start four years ago when Lorio, a St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church parishioner, approached church leadership about starting a farmers market. Since its first season, F.A.R.M. has doubled its vendors and now attracts between 200 and 250 people on a weekly basis. Lorio attributes the market’s success to its location near the intersection of Atlanta Road and Cumberland Boulevard and the built-in customer base offered by the church.

“I also think the day of the week is important,” he said. “Saturday markets are really tough in that there are so many established markets in the area where these vendors have been going for years and years. It’s really hard to start a new market on a Saturday just because of attracting new vendors. It’s just one of the reasons we decided to do ours on a different day of the week.”

F.A.R.M. isn’t Smyrna’s only local produce market. Keep Smyrna Beautiful hosts the Smyrna Produce Market each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon beginning May 5.

The market is held each week in the parking lot. Keep Smyrna Beautiful is currently accepting application for prospective vendors and musicians interested in performing family-friendly music during the market. Producers of organic and naturally grown produce are given precedence and the produce or items sold at the market must be grown by the seller. Those interested in participating should contact Ann Kirk at akirk@smyrnaga.gov or call 770-431-2863.

Do you think its important to support local growers? Tell us in the comments.