Six Mile Farmers Market Now Open

The area's newest farmers market is now open.

The Six Mile Farmers Market opened yesterday afternoon and the turnout of vendors and shoppers was better than expected, officials said.

Officials from around the area helped celebrate the opening of the market, which will be open from 4pm-7pm on Thursdays. The market is located in the town's former fire station on Main Street in Six Mile.

The market's Grand Opening kicked off with a ribbon-cutting and opening ceremony.

The market project has been spearheaded by Six Mile Town Councilman James Atkinson, who brought up the idea of using the fire station as a market at a town council meeting earlier this year.

He said the farmers market returns the town to its roots as an agribusiness community.

Rep. B.R. Skelton praised town officials' initiative and thanked them for providing another benefit to townspeople and the surrounding area.

County Councilman Trey Whitehurst said his wife doesn't like to attend political events, but changed her mind when she heard he was going to a farmers market.

“We're out here buying,” Whitehurst said. “I commend you all for your creative thinking and thinking outside the box to do things that help the whole county.”

Greater Clemson Chamber of Commerce President David Lane said farmers markets are appearing “all over the place.”

“I wish you well, that this'll be one of the more successful ones,” Lane said. “When you have an indoor facility like this, you're bound to do well.”

Atkinson said there's room for vendors inside the building and outside on its parking lots.

Gathering storm clouds didn't keep people away.

“A day like this, everyone's still going to come out,” Lane said.

Lane pledged the support of the Chamber.

“We're here to stand behind you, to help promote it, make it work,” he said. “You're off to a great start.”

Dana Leavitt, Special Projects Direcot with Upstate Forever, said his passion was connecting “people and land.”

“I can't think of a better example than what y'all have created here,” Leavitt said.

He spoke of Rural Resource Coalition, a state wide initiative that focuses on enhancing rural economies in ways that complement “our natural resources, our beautiful farms and our forest lands.”

Agritourism is one of the strongest growing market sectors, Leavitt said.

It connects landowners with the growers and with those who don't have the opportunity or the skill set or the resources to produce the healthy products that farmers market vendors produce, he said.

“The beautiful thing about it is that as people come our neighborhood communities, towns and cities, they have the opportunity to drive through and enjoy the beautiful landscape you have, the beautiful pastures, and enjoy the farmland and the timberland that surrounds y'all and that makes y'all such a quality community and healthy community.”

Unsold produce could be used to help others.

Dr. Ashley McCoy-Bruce works with the Society of St. Andrew.

“We try to rescue produce any place that it might be wasted,” she said. “Sometimes at farmers markets, there's extra produce that's not sold and vendors are welcome if they'd like to donate to us.”

There's a donation booth for produce at the market, and collections will be given to groups such as Clemson Community Care, McCoy-Bruce said.

In addition to providing fresh produce and other items, town officials hope the market will become a gathering spot for the town.

Atkinson said he hoped the farmers market would lead to new opportunities for the town.

“Hopefully this is going to be a small spark that's going to bring many more things to Six Mile,” Atkinson said.