Farmers' Market Profits From Impulse Trade
JINNY WILT
Adams Co. Correspondent
GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.)
From the beginning of June to
the end of September for the past
six years it’s been a place to enjoy
the bounty of Adams County.
The county with a history that
ranks it up there as one of the na
tion’s favorite tourist attractions
also ranks first in Pennsylvania in
apple and peach production and
fanning is its number one industry
so why shouldn’t it have a local
market to sell those products
and more.
That’s why the Gettysburg-
Adams County Area Chamber of
Commerce got involved and set
up a farmers’ market that operates
through the end of September in
the borough’s square which is
really a circle.
Marketmaster John Bartlett,
who operates a stand in the mar
ketplace for his Gettysburg Gar
dens, said the venue is a great
place to capture clients.
“It’s niche marketing and a very
pleasant place. People from all
over the world come by. And the
customer you wouldn’t get at the
nursery will stop by. You can talk
to them and interest them into
coming to the gardens. It’s a very
pleasant way to do business. We
get the impulse trade,” he said.
Bartlett explained that members
of the Gettysburg Farmers’ Mar-
From the fields around Barbara Allen’s home between
Fairfield and Gettysburg, flowers of every kind find their
way into bouquets. Customers come to her stand Saturday
mornings to select flowers she sells at the Gettysburg Far
mers’ Market.
ket Association get to vote on who
will join their ranks. “We try to
keep a balance,” he said, looking
over stands that offered canned
beef, herbs, honey, fruits, vege
tables, flowers, baked goods, hot
peppers, and horseradish.
Next to Bartlett’s stand was
Rich Sawyer who lives near Get
tysburg, with his many multi-col
ored mostly hot peppers. In
his garden at his home, he said,
you could find 30 pepper varieties
which he eventually hopes to use
in hot pepper vinegars.
On this Saturday, as in all the
weeks during the summer months,
he brings his peppers to Gettys
burg’s square for those who would
like to put some zing in their cook
ing. On other days you might find
him wandering down Frederick
Avenue in Baltimore selling his
peppers.
On the end of the same comer
of the square since Gettys
burg’s square is actually a circle
the vendors are divided with se
veral set up on each quarter is
Debbie’s Breads.
Selling bread this day is Bob
Foster of Gettysburg, Debbie’s
husband. She has more important
duties at home where she is caring
for twins who were bom May 19.
With Bob is the couple’s son,
Timothy Foster, 13, who has also
turned the market into a money
making venture. The teen-ager
makes muffins “from scratch.”
“My mother does the bread and
I do the muffins. Mom said T
think we’d have a market for muf
fins’,” he said.
And mother was right because
Timothy has been able to save
enough money from the sale of
muffins to buy a piano. “It’s a nice
one,” he said proudly.
His father, beaming, adds,
“He’s a wonderful pianist”
For Timothy the experience in
the market has taught him how to
budget his money. “I buy all of the
ingredients I use myself,” he adds.
On another corner customers
will find Gruver’s Baker and
Long’s of York Horseradish shar
ing a stand. Larry Golden of York
who bought Gruver’s one year
ago, and Bob Clipp of Emigsville
who bought out Gerald Long and
his horseradish business, come to
Gettysburg each Saturday.
The men are familiar faces in
many of the farmers’ markets in
the area. They can be found in
Central, Farmers, and Eastern
markets in York, the Middletown
Market and, of course, Gettys
burg. Golden notes that he only
bakes his products at his Newber
ry Street bakery in York, and does
not sell from there “unless you
knock at the back door.”
Clipp who calls selling horse
radish his “retirement job” also
makes his own product by grind
ing horseradish root. He laughing
ly adds, “I don’t have sinus prob
lems.”
Kay Hollabaugh, treasurer of
the association, who waits on cus
tomers buying produce at the
Hollabaugh Brothers stand, ad
vises any community thinking of
starting a similar venture to “keep
it local.”
“Encourage producers with lo
cally grown products only,” she
said, noting that she has been tak
ing part in the Gettysburg market
since its inception. There are
about 15 vendors who take part in
the weekly market, she said.
Hollabaugh adds that while the
market might be a curiosity to the
tourists who come to Gettysburg,
it’s the local people who support
it.’
Jean Heare helps out at the Willow Pond stand at Gettys-
The local people are very sup- burg Farmers’ Market where herbs, homemade jellies, and
portive. There is a demand for this various flavors of honey are for sale.
market,” she said.
Locals and tourists come to center square In Gettysburg Saturday mornings dur
ing the summer months to sample Adams County products and produce at the Get
tysburg Farmers' Market. The market Is open from 7 a.m. to noon. The market Is in its
Timothy Foster, 13, and father, Bob Foster, wait for cus
tomers at Debbie's Bread Stand. Mother, Debbie Foster, is
at home caring for newborn twins. Timothy makes muffins
“from scratch” to sell along with the breads made by his
mother.