NORWICH – Most people come to the Chenango County Farmer’s Market with one item in mind, market President Ellen Adams says, but they almost always end up leaving with a full bag.

Adams attributes the trend to the market’s 15 to 30 vendors who try to keep a good mix of products, like locally produced eggs, meat, produce, flowers, herbs, baked goods, maple syrup, jams, jellies, soaps and crafts.

“Our main goal is variety,” Adams said. “It’s a one stop shop, really.”

This week, August 5-11, is National Farmer’s Market Week.

The Chenango Market, located in the East Side Park in downtown Norwich on Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to around 1 p.m., has been operating since 1933. Adams says where the market used to be a main source of food, it’s now become an alternative to big box shopping.

“Our vendors who grow vegetables sell them fresh from the garden to the consumer. It gives people a chance to buy fresh and eat healthy,” she said. “It hasn’t been in a store for long time or trucked from across the country. There’s no middle man; it’s sold direct.”

The push for locally grown products is evident in two on-going programs being ran through two local non-profit organization, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County and Opportunities for Chenango.

Cornell has created “A Guide to Locally Grown Products,” an inventory of products and map that shows where they’re made, and OFC has introduced its Bullthistle Bounty Card, a discount card that encourages purchasing local products, which is not limited to food.

Both programs have become directly tied to the farmers’ markets across the county.

“By buying locally through farmers markets more and more people are opting out of the globalized food system and investing in locally grown products as a way to reduce energy consumption,” said Sophie F. Belanger, Cornell Cooperative’s Buy Local Coordinator. “Going to the farmers markets each week allows to follow the seasonality of our food and encourages us to preserve the bounty to be that will be consumed during the winter months.”

Both organizations have also launched an eat locally challenge, with more details coming up in The Evening Sun soon.

Aside from health concious consumers, lower income families and the elderly have incentives, by way of government programs and discounts, to shop at the farmer’s market, Adams said.

Producer Ellen Evans of Greene, who sells produce at the Chenango Market, says the recent recalls of foreign food products has added to the importance of garden-to-consumer sales.

“There’s a lot of scares out there,” Evans said. “Here, you know where the producers live, you know where their farms are. They didn’t come from a 1,000 miles away.”

Besides the food and products, Adams and Evans say the farmers market is a great place to make some friends.

“We try to have a good time around here,” Adams said.

“I don’t think there is anything better than a farmers’ market,” Evans added. “It’s great for the community, it really is.”

Here’s a list of the Farmers’ Markets in Chenango County:

Chenango County Farmer’s Market

Route 12 & East Main Street

East Side Park in Downtown Norwich

Open Wednesdays & Saturdays 8 a.m. to Sellout

607-656-8463

June through October

New Berlin Farmer’s Market