UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The Union County farmer’s market is seeing good turnout from its expansion in Stallings, North Carolina.

The market, which opened a satellite location in Stallings this year, said more and more vendors are asking to be a part of the community market.

Union County residents now have more access to fresh fruits and veggies from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through the end of September. 

The Monroe market location, which is larger, is at 805 Skyway Drive. The Stallings location, which is new, is at 340 Stallings Road, inside the park.

The Stallings location has been quite busy since opening, according to vendor Shannon Shell.

Shell has been running her stall every Saturday since June, when the Union County Farmers Market expanded.

“Business has been great, we see folks from all around,” Shell said.

The stall is a mix of Shell’s business and passion.

“I love farming, I love gardening, but I really love these peas, because I grew up eating them. I grew up in Arkansas, Mississippi eating these peas, they remind me of my granddaddy,” Shell said.

Shell grows peas and some other produce on her small property, selling those products and some others from another farmer.

It’s a skill she says is in her blood.

“When I was growing my daddy always had a tiny little garden. He would come home from work and he would go out to the garden and spend a couple hours out there every night,” Shell added.

Across the grass at the park, Jackie Cristiano is another small family farmer who takes pride in her work.

“I’m a nurturer, we have four children, and I just like to nurture things,” Cristiano said during a break in business.

Cristiano and her husband started a small farm seven years ago. Her son soon took over the majority of the work, taking an interest in organic farming after college. However, he felt burned out and left day-to-day operations of the farm after Hurricane Florence. 

“Kind of wiped everything out, really discouraged him,” Shell said.

Cristiano said it became addicting, so she couldn't stop growing her favorite veggies and fruits, even after her son left.

“My favorite thing to grow is okra. Okra grows like a freight train,” Cristiano showed off with a smile.

Together, the two women are just a few of the dozen vendors you might see in Stallings who are happy to share their passion with new, hungry customers every Saturday.

Union County local foods coordinator Jessica King said the market is connecting customers to responsible, local-sourced food.

“It is quite an honor to say that we are feeding food from Union County to Union County residents. And, we keep our local dollars in our local economy. And that is a win-win for everyone involved in this operation,” King said.

The county market expanded to Stallings when the Monroe location ran out of vendor space. Now, King said more than 50 vendors are selling fresh produce each Saturday.

“Well, with Monroe market we are reaching such a small portion of our community and our county. And by being able to get to the western part of the county, we are reaching a much larger customer base and really just getting the opportunity to provide fresh, local fruits and vegetables for this community,” King explained.

The Stallings market will open every Saturday through September and will return next year, according to King. The Monroe location runs year round.