Florence Gardens Farmer’s Market opens 2019 on high note

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) - The 2019 farmer’s market season in Gulfport got off to a big start thanks in part to the nice weather. The Florence Gardens Farmer’s Market entered its second year. That’s something that means a lot to market manager Jeff Scrimsher.

“We’re a year-round market, first Sunday of every month,” Scrimsher said.

That is important to the vendors who enjoy having another day out of the month to entice new clients.

“We hold it on Sunday,” Scrimsher said. “Most of these vendors work on Saturday, and they work from Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, some of them even up in Hattiesburg, and they all come here on Sunday because there’s not a lot of Sunday markets.”

Vendor Marvin McGuire enjoyed interacting with the people. He believed his health-conscious sweets were something shoppers didn’t see enough of.

“Products that are user friendly,” McGuire said. “Mainly we focus on helping diabetics. I make pralines. I have over 130 flavors.”

The market really had just about any fresh food you could ask for.

“We’ve got fresh vegetables, seasonal vegetables, a lot of winter greens this time of year.Pasture raised pork, we’ve got pasture raised beef. We’ve got pralines," Scrimsher said.

That selection impressed first-time visitor David Starling.

“It’s a really nice little market,” Starling said. “It’s pretty good from what we have on the Coast. I mean, it’s one of the better produce markets.”

Scrimsher was happy to be able to start the new market season on such a clear day.

“You never know in South Mississippi,” Scrimsher said. “I’ve been here a long time. It could be freezing cold or it can be beautiful. Here, we lucked out today, and it’s beautiful.”

The Florence Gardens Farmers Market is open the first Sunday of every month from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. It’s located at 12321 Preservation Drive.

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