Greene Street Market at Nativity opens

HUNTSVILLE — Let the bean stringing, pea snapping and corn shucking begin!

It is farming season in Alabama and the Greene Street Market at Nativity in downtown Huntsville is reaping what the area farmers sow.

On Episcopal Church of the Nativity grounds between Eustis Street and Gates Avenue, the seasonal Greene Street Market is open every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. through Aug. 3, and 3-6 p.m. from September through Oct. 26.

Visitors will find fresh, locally grown vegetables, fruits, meat, and flowers; gorgeous local produce, grass fed and pasture raised beef and pork, free range chickens, and eggs. There are freshly prepared meals, gourmet popsicles, traditionally-made relishes, cheeses, preserves and breads.

Fresh food from the vine is more flavorful and more nutritious. Grown in North Alabama dirt by local farmers and growers, the Greene Street Market is an opportunity to shop locally.

In addition to fresh food and artisan vendors, there will be live music, beverages, and a great time strolling the streets of the historic district.

The following growers and artisans are at Greene Street Market:

• Don Lloyd of Fungalicious in Tullahoma, Tenn., specializes in mushrooms of all shapes, sizes and colors. You will find mushroom jerky, oyster mushrooms and a variety of homegrown gourmet mushrooms you can’t find in grocery stores.
• Dion Carroll of Greenleaf Farm in Cullman sells tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, okra, melons, berries, beans, and peas grown using hydroponics, a method of growing plants directly in nutrient-rich water rather than soil.
• Mary Frances Brosemer of Brosemer Farms in Huntsville has always had a flower and vegetable garden. In addition to dahlias, daisies, and zinnias in all shades of pink, orange, and purple, Broseman sells bottles of honey, and hands out dog treats to our furry friends accompanying their owners.
• Darrell and Karen Bagwell of Bagwell Blueberry Farms in Cullman sells all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and fresh-made products such as shelled purple hull peas, turnip greens, kale, lettuce, peppers, peanut brittle, fudge, and okra but, you got it, their specialty is blueberries.
• Will Scott of Scott’s Orchard in Hazel Green grows 18 types of apples and 21 types of peaches. They also sell cider, nectarines, and honey, and closer to fall, they will have fresh honey crisp, golden delicious, and Arkansas black apples.
• Douglas Wheatley of Delfreyn Fach (“pretty little hill”) Farm in New Market raises goats. Customers say Doug’s goat lotion and goat soap does wonders for their skin. Doug’s sweet corn is also said to be the best in Alabama.
• Marilyn Champion of Champion Farms has a passion for locally sourced vegetables, carefully cultivated and unique heirloom products like Cherokee purple tomatoes. Champion Farms’ produce has been used by restaurants across Decatur and Huntsville.
• Danny Campbell of Campbell Farms in Kelso, Tenn., grows beets, cabbage, squash, tomatoes, watermelon and peaches. His luscious, plump strawberries are a favorite.
• Bill Elliott of Blossomwood Honey in Huntsville is a beekeeper. His customers say Bill’s honey is the best they’ve ever had. His bees feast on trees, shrubs and wildflowers in the Blossomwood and Redstone Arsenal areas, allowing them to produce uniquely pure and flavorful honey devoid of the chemicals most farms use.