Published: July 30, 2007 08:32 am      

A tisket, a tasket: shop Parker County to fill your summer produce basket

Danie M. Huffman

wdreporter2@yahoo.com

Most folks can remember standing in the garden with a salt shaker over mom’s tomatoes.

There does not seem to be anything like eating homegrown vegetables or picking fruit fresh from a tree.

Many residents will tell you grocery store vegetables “just aren’t the same.”

The closest to farm grown, without harvesting it yourself, is to stop by a local market and buy produce from Parker County farmers who have been doing business with the Parker County Farmer’s Market for the last few decades.

As soon as you step from your vehicle, the sweet savor of fresh fruit fills the air, seeping into the parking lot, as if to call you from your car.

Ripe vegetables and fruit fresh for the picking fill the grounds in rows as customers browse the isle for whatever recipe they may be stirring up.

Ask customers who drive miles out of their way to shop at the market why they do so and you will repeatedly hear because the products are fresh.

Rebecca Grandin drives from Aledo each week just for the fresh fruits and vegetables, which she encourages her family to eat.

“It’s fresh,” Grandin said about the produce at the Parker County Farmer's Market. “You can't find it that way in the grocery store and you can’t always trust it. It’s worth the drive and the people are so friendly.”

Another reason Grandin shops at the market, is because the plants are good and healthy.

“I want to support Parker County and Weatherford farmers and growers,” she said.

Owner Beth Murphy said the market is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

She has been doing business with four local farmers for 15 to 20 years, so she knows what they produce and has come to trust the products for her customers.

“Most people come here for the peaches,” she said. “They're the best sellers along with the tomatoes and cantaloupe.”

She also carries seasonal fruits and vegetables and other products like organic soaps, canned and jarred fruits, jellies, Dublin Dr Pepper and salsa.

She added there’s just something about buying fresh produce.

Murphy is amazed at the amount of requests she has from customers asking to visit local farms.

Her busiest seasons come during the Peach Festival and First Monday Trade Days.

“There's a great misconception that peaches are out of season when the Peach Festival is over,” she said. “That's not true, we have them [delivered] daily until September.”

She finds it difficult to “pick” a favorite, but said it's a toss up between the tomatoes and peaches.

She also likes the pumpkins in the fall and flowers in the spring.

Carol Fogal works for Murphy potting plants and performing odd jobs.

Fogal's favorite time of the year is fall when the smells and colors make the market come to life.

With the gourds, cool breeze, smells and flowers...it's breath-taking,” she said. “It’s a beautiful sight and reminds me of wood fires and home.”

Murphy said it's hard to find good help like Fogal.

“She really has a green thumb,” Murphy said. “It's an art and she definitely has talent.”

Mollie Hopper is a regular customer who claims the service is always friendly and helpful.

“It's always good here,” she said, adding the produce is, yes... “fresh.”