Yes, the day is nearly upon us – Westover Farmers Market will open next Sunday, May 6.  We’re excited, the vendors are excited and we really hope you’re excited to come get some great local produce. As we gear up for the first market, a few important items to note:

1) We’ll be holding a meeting for interested volunteers this Tuesday, May 1, at 7:30 PM in the meeting room at the Westover Library. We’re an all-volunteer organization, so community support is much appreciated.

2) There is plenty of parking in Westover, but we strongly encourage market visitors to take public transportation, walk or bike. Parking for the market is available in two parking lots (the one behind the Reed School, and the one along 18th St. North of McKinley), and on the street along Washington Blvd., N. 18th Street, and Lexington St. between 18th and 19th. Parking in the lot behind the Westover Shopping Center is reserved for patrons of those shops.

3) For now, until we have an arrangement with the Arlington County School Board for the use of the Reed School property, the market will be held in McKinley Rd.  The northbound lane of McKinley Rd. from Washington Blvd. to the driveway for the Westover Shopping Center to allow access to that lot for shop patrons, but the south bound lane of McKinley will be closed at Longfellow St. There will be no street parking on McKinley in either lane beginning at 6:30 AM on Sundays. There will be signage for Westover Farmers Market parking, but please keep the street closure in mind when planning your visit to the market.

Our roster of vendors is now up to 13 with the addition of Bigg Riggs Farm, Michael Musachio, and BorekG. We’re also pleased to announce the sponsorship of Jane Jensen, a North Arlington realtor. Find out more about Jane and our other sponsors, and if you’re interested in sponsoring the market, please contact us.

After many months of working with County staff and after recent discussions with many Westover merchants and area civic associations, the Westover Farmers Market received its use permit from the Arlington County Board on Saturday. (Check out their press release.)  This is an important vote of political support, and we greatly appreciate the support from all parties involved. In describing the unanimous sentiment of the County Board, chair Mary Hynes said: “Residents of the four civic associations near Reed-Westover told us how much they value the local merchants and how interested they are in hosting a new farmer’s market. Our action today will result in an even more lively place that benefits local businesses and offers North Arlington easy access to fresh, healthy local food.”

In coming days we’ll announce more vendors, more information about the market, and a call for volunteers. Check back soon!

Four more excellent vendors have signed up for the inaugural season of Westover Farmers Market: Ole Pioneer Kitchen, Smith Family Farm, Fertile Plains Meats, and Gypsy Hill Foods. The market will feature a full range of vendors to bring you the freshest products from local farms and small food businesses. Check out our vendor page for more info.

Interested in volunteering at the market? Contact us! We’ll gather all interested parties soon to discuss how you can help.

Two more vendors have committed to the 2012 season for the Westover Farmers Market – welcome to Atwater’s and Lois’s Produce! Visit our vendors page for more information on these two and the other vendors who will be selling at the Market.

Ever wonder how much farmers markets and eating locally help the area economy? Research by Virginia Cooperative Extension has shown that if each household in Virginia spent just $10 a week on locally grown agricultural products, consumers would invest an additional $1.65 billion back into the local economy each year. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has initiated a $10 Buy Local Challenge for 2012 to highlight the importance of supporting farms in the area.  Please do your part by shopping at farmers markets as well as at other local small businesses.