Tiverton Winter Farmers Market Open On Thursday

SandywoodsFarms will host opening night of Tiverton's Winter Farmers Market on Thursday from 4 - 7 p.m.

With 24 different vendors selling everything from pottery to potatoes, Tiverton will launch its first-ever farmers market in the community room at Sandywoods Farm off of Bulgarmarsh Road. The future of the market in coming weeks will depend on this inaugural event.

"The best way to describe it is like a trial balloon," said Russ Smith, Sandywoods director. "What we are going to do on Thursday is to get a sense of how much public interest there is and it will depend on the turn out and how well the vendors do. We are hoping it will be every Thursday."

The Tiverton market will be the only East Bay winter-time farmers market in the East Bay that meets on a weekday afternoon.

"We thought people with busy weekends would maybe appreciate a market  that they can come to after work," said Russ.

"We're hoping we can fill a niche," he added.

All of the vendors are from the southern New England area, including Aquidneck Honey of Middletown, Beresford of Tiverton, Cory's Kitchen at Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, Seapowet Farms of Portsmouth, Moonlight Rose Alpacas of Swansea, MA, an many more.

Smith said Sandywoods was working with Farm Fresh Rhode Island to get the word out to shoppers. If Thursday's market is successful, the winter market will run every Thursday from 4 -7 p.m. until May 16.

"The only reason it won't happen is if we lunch on Thursday and we just don't get that big of a crowd," said Smith. "Vendors have to know that it will be worthwhile. Everything hinges on how much public support there will be."

Interested business people can contact Russ Smith at Sandywood Farms about renting space at the farmers market by calling 401-241-7349 or e-mailinfo@sandywoodsfarm.org.