Up until this past summer, I thought of the downtown Charleston Farmer’s Market as a nice place to spend my Saturday morning hangovers- laying in the grass, eating Roti Rolls, pondering life’s big questions, trying to find the balance between avoiding eye contact with vendors while still getting as many free samples as possible. It wasn’t until I started working there that I realized the full potential of the market and how much energy and effort goes into making sure it runs smoothly each Saturday. After spending an entire summer’s worth of Saturday mornings at the market as an apprentice with Blue Pearl Farms, I have observed a pattern of patrons which is worth noting.

7:30-9:15 – Here we see the regulars: eager to avoid crowds, genuinely interested in how their farmers are doing, reusable bags in tow and always with exact change, a true farmer’s friend. Keep in mind the market opens at 8 so these people make their own rules.

9:15-10:00 – Visiting tourists, the early risers who saw the market being set up from their window at the Francis Marion Hotel. Curious, but quick to let you know that whatever you’re selling they cannot bring home in their carry-on luggage even though it’s all so amazing and they love what we’re doing. They want samples but they also don’t want to get too involved because of their guilt, so they avoid eye contact like the plague.

10:00-11:00 – CofC students who didn’t go out last night and are capable of being real human beings, parents taking their kids to the bouncy houses, more tourists. Light acoustic tunes start somewhere around here.

11:00-12:00 – CofC students who did go out last night, not capable of being real human beings, looking particularly rough and just trying to get a breakfast sandwich and make it to the iced coffee stand alive.

12:00-1:00 – The lunch crowd. These people are on a mission, power walking back and forth trying to find the best option. Definitely will not make eye contact and could honestly not care any less about anything besides what they’re getting for lunch.

1:00-2:00 – Tourists who just realized there is a farmer’s market- “does this happen every weekend?”- and people who are offended when you’re sold out despite the fact they waited until the last possible moment to come to your stand.

What have I learned from this? First, the Farmer’s Market is a truly amazing place for people watching. But more than that, I feel that if people knew how much time and energy goes into making sure everything runs smoothly, they would see the Farmer’s Market in a whole new light, as I have. Vendors start setting up at 5:30am and don’t finish packing up until near 3 or 4pm occasionally, and for a lot of them, this is their livelihood. A day of bad weather or a cancelled market directly affects their wellbeing. So take some time to appreciate your local farmers and vendors. Go to the market and talk to them. Have a free sample. Ask them any and all questions about what they’re selling. Support them with your dollars. There are so many reasons to buy local, but more than anything it just feels good to support people in your community who are doing and creating what they love.

–Britton Holmes, Sustainablility Fellow, Project Lead: Garden Apprenticeship Coordinator