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Monday, August 1, 2011

On the Prowl: Pitt County Farmer's Market in Greenville, NC

Greenville's biggest farmer's market is a bit more of an excursion to get to then the Umbrella market in downtown, but if you want to get the best of what East Carolina has to offer at a good, low price, then you'll definitely want to take a peek at what's hiding down Country Home Road.

Location: 4560 Country Home Road, Greenville, NC 27834.
Directions: Head onto East Firetower Rd. Country Home Road is where the Sheetz's is, head past the Sheetz's and drive down a ways until you see the market on your right.
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8 AM - 1 PM. To 3 PM on Friday's. (March thru December)

Produce Round-Up
For a more precise list, the farmer's market has a neat "What's in Season" chart which you can find here. For the most part, you'll find everything you find at the Umbrella market here. The Pitt County farmer's market stands out with a larger collection to pick from, whether it's peppers or various root vegetables. Along with the usually suspects, you'll also find a few interesting subjects at the end of the aisle, including a bread and grain man, a herb stand, and a large and robust collection of jarred stuff including jams and pickles of all shapes and sizes.

Note: My Pitt County Farmer's Market experiences have usually been Saturdays. Days may fluctuate in produce.

The usual suspects:
Bell Peppers
Peppers
Collard Greens
Sweet Potato
Tomato
Grape Tomato
Zucchini (Yellow/Green)
Watermelon
Onion
Eggplant

Like the Umbrella market, you'll also find a seafood vendor most weekends.

Along with the produce, you'll also find an interesting array of eats. Breakfast can be found in the form of fruit empanadas at road side of the building. Crispy, sweet, and succulent, they provide a nice pick-me-up while browsing the morning goods. My favorites so far have been the mango and peach, but they have a large variety to fit anyone's tastes. $1.50 a piece for those who are curious. On the other end are the bakers, which will easily tickle your sweet tooth with their concoctions. Some surprising French baked treats were present this past week. Outside the main building is a newcomer to the market, a red hot, hot dog stand. While it seemed like just another dog stand at first glance, the allure of a good beef hot dog was too hard to pass up, especially at $2.00 and with an AMAZING sweet pepper relish on top. Well worth the stop for any hot dog lovers out there.

Overall, Pitt County's Farmer's Market is a great place to stop and pick up affordable produce for the week while picking up a few nice bites to eat. Unfortunately, unlike the Umbrella Market you won't find any extra activities to keep the family busy here, but if you're aiming for the produce then you'll definitely want to make this your regular stop for local goods within the Greenville area.

4 comments:

Shay said...

Hi! I am not sure how I stumbled across your blog, but I go to ECU as well! I am looking to go to this farmer's market, but wondering if the prices are much better than, say, Walmart. I am all for supporting local farming, but I am a broke student! :)

Bach Pham said...

Hey! It depends on what you are looking for. There are definitely produce you can find cheaper here, such as multicolored bell peppers (50-75 cents per here, usually upwards of $2.99lb in Food Lion) and whatnot. Things in season can be bought for really good prices, and if you arrive towards the end of the day when they are trying to get rid of their last things, you can definitely bargain for deals. Since everything isn't prepackaged, you can buy as little or as much of what you need, which can save you money if you are cooking for just one or two people.

Anonymous said...

renston garden market is 3.5 miles south of winterville on nc903. we have pick your own blueberries and peaches starting about june 1st. we also have lots of other fruits and vegetables. we sell on the farm 8-12;also at the pitt co. market and umbrella market in greenville. business started in 1975.

Unknown said...

Hello!
I am an ECU student, and I will be taking a couple summer school classes but I was wondering if any vendor's are looking for any summer interns. I would love to have an internship on a farm for the summer and help out, and was hoping there might be opportunities available.
Thank you,
Alix

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