Fruits and vegetables take center stage at Mount Vernon Farmers Market

MOUNT VERNON – The growing season is in full swing in Knox County and that means a
bountiful supply of locally grown, fresh produce is available at the popular Mount Vernon
Farmers Market.
Two dozen vendors set up on Public Square each Saturday morning to provide a variety of
foods including fruits, vegetables and herbs – all grown within 25 miles of downtown Mount
Vernon. Shoppers will also find meats, baked goods, cut flowers, granola, goat milk soap,
honey, unique jellies and maple syrup.
Customers can ask produce farmers how they grow their crops and for recipes. Whether you’re
looking to get healthy or just want to try new fruits and vegetables the market is the place to go.
It’s been a good year for produce so far in Knox County. Strawberries ripened earlier than in

2023. And the cucumbers, beets, zucchini and many other vegetable harvests are abundant as
      we head into July.
      “Good weather and good luck [are] always a great combination and we have seen that for a vast
      part of the state (until the recent heat wave). We did have a relatively mild spring with ample
      moisture this year. That certainly helped all produce. Some sweet corn is being harvested in
      southern Ohio and that crop is looking great as well,” said Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau.
      Local sweet corn should make an appearance at the market in mid-July. Ask any sweet corn
      lover in Knox County and they will tell you that local sweet corn tastes the best. And the same
      goes for tomatoes, onions, and herbs. Freshness is guaranteed when the vegetables are picked
      a day, or just hours, before the market.
      The market offers several incentives to make shopping accessible to those at all income levels.
       SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
       Produce Perks
       Fruit & Vegetable Program from Produce Perks
       Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
       WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition Program
       Knox County Task Force for Older Adults Eat Fresh, Eat Local program
       Produce Rx offered by Knox Community Health Center
      Seniors aged 60 and older can receive $10 worth of tokens to spend at the market on fruits,
      vegetables, herbs and honey only. To qualify just show your identification showing your birthday
      and that you are a Knox County resident. The Eat Fresh, Eat Local program is offered by the
      Knox County Task Force for Older Adults and made possible with grants from the Knox County
      Commissioners and individual donors.
      SNAP and Produce Perks are income-based programs as well as the Senior Farmers Market
      Nutrition Program. The SFMNP has been modernized for 2024 and is being coordinated by the
      Ohio Farmers Market Network in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Aging.
      Staffers from the local WIC office will be on hand at the market for the next several Saturday
      mornings to distribute their coupons for qualified women and children up to five years old.

Questions about any of these programs can be directed to Market Coordinator Marty Trese at
Farmersmarketmountvernon@gmail.com.