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New venue provides big possibilities for Hoschton market
0208Market
Hoschton Farmers Market organizers Dan Graves, left, and Bill Jaynes examine a head of lettuce at the farmers market’s new, indoor location at Ye Ole Station. Instead of operating on Saturdays only, the market will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. - photo by KATIE DUNN

HOSCHTON — Fresh produce, local art and other handmade goods are among the items people can find inside the recently revamped Hoschton Farmers Market.

The market recently moved from its outdoor venue in the Towne Center Shopping Center to inside the former antique store, Ye Ole Station.

To celebrate the move, a grand opening will be held Feb. 19 at the new venue, which is located at the intersection of Ga. 53 and Peachtree Road. A free dogwood tree will be given to the first 100 people to visit the store.

While the market was previously open only on Saturday mornings, it is now open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“The people (vendors) wanted us to do it,” organizer Dan Graves said. “They came in and said, ‘Hey, look, we need this year-round. We just don’t need this on Saturday; we need to do this on more than one day.’”

Each room of the small shop boasts a different piece of local flair, whether edible or decorative. In all, about 11 or 12 vendors currently sell their wares at the shop.

A wide variety of fresh produce, ranch eggs, St. Ives coffee, dried herbs, homemade whole wheat bread, and a variety of jams and jellies are among the edible goods that are sold. Organizer Bill Jaynes said the market also will eventually offer honey, milk, gourmet ice cream, English Bangor sausage and smoked bacon.

Other goods include handcrafted wooden bowls and furniture, embroidery work, gourd art, handmade aprons and turquoise jewelry, among others.

While the market’s current stock of fruit and vegetables comes from the Atlanta Farmers Market, Jaynes said locally grown items will be added once crops are ready.

And once warmer weather arrives, vendors also will return to the great outdoors and set their tents up outside the shop for patrons to browse.

“It’s going to be a struggle for us until the farmers start farming,” Jaynes said. “We’re just trying to pay the rent, pay the utilities and provide a place for the vendors to come and sell their wares.”