New farmers market held in downtown Copperas Cove

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

A new farmers market has popped up downtown, offering a place for shoppers and makers alike to come together.

On Saturday, more than 30 vendors plus a food truck and a lemonade trailer set up in the parking lot at the corner of Avenue E and S. 2nd Street for the first Community Farmers Market, which was open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Community Farmers Market is the idea of Kathy Cline. Cline said that after she moved to Copperas Cove about a year ago, she was looking for a place to find more natural, Earth-friendly homemade/handmade items and was unable to find anything.

“Everything was tumblers and T-shirts and this, that and the other thing, and as much as I don't begrudge anybody their skill, I was looking for something a little more Earth minded and more community minded,” Cline said. “So, I decided, when somebody told me that this would never work, that I was going to prove them wrong.”

Cline said she initially looked into setting up a farmer’s market at the City Park, but that proved to not be cost-effective to start with.

The owner of the parking lot property offered the space for a small fee that Cline said she was more than happy to cover and would allow her to take the other proceeds and invest them back into the market. Cline said she has plans to turn this into something bigger as a non-profit business that could have insurance to allow for a bigger space.

“I just wanted community people to have community stuff,” Cline said. “I want it to be- this is a neighborhood. Walk over and see what's here, you know, at a decent price.”

Cline first posted in a group on Facebook to see if there would be interest from shoppers and got an overwhelming response which prompted her to then seek out vendors

Cline said she requires that vendors sell products that are at least 80 percent handmade, homemade or homegrown.

Vendors pay $20 for a 12’ x 12’ spot, with an additional spot available for $10, with the stipulation that the additional spot must be manned by a signed vendor.

“It's fantastic,” Cline said about seeing people come out to the Community Farmers Market. “It means everything- it means that people who wouldn't be able to get to this stuff otherwise can come out and enjoy something. They can see, this is what's in your community. These people are from your community. You're not giving money to a major corporation. You're not giving money to somebody who didn't slave over sourdough bread for the last week, you know that's a lot of work. And they get to see and have some kind of pride. This is a great little town. We need to get that out and let people know this is a great little town. And we have a lot going on.’

Vendors at Saturday’s market included Feathered Fork Farms (selling beef, pork, chicken, eggs and produce); Christensen’s Bird and Bee (selling honey, eggs, jams, salsas); Shoulders to Healing Women’s Group; Styled Jewlz (handmade jewelry); Herb & Earnie’s; Macaroni Noodle Jewelry (natural jewelry); Phoenix Botanicals (naturalist); Mrs. Capps Crafts/The Bread Box/Sweet Spice (a double booth selling nail oils, crochet items, sourdough bread, chamoy dips and chamoy coated candies); Wildflower Homestead (wire wrap jewelry); MJ Moxie (laser/handcrafted décor); Sugar Britches (jams, jellies, pickled items and freeze-dried candies); Aunt Milly’s Craft Table (bows and paintings); Tom’s Creations (photography and jewelry); Arctic Scoops (Italian ice); Bake My Day Cookies and Cakes; Elemental Made (crochet clothing); Clark Clicks & Crafts (jewelry and wood art); face painting by CL Artistry; Bows by Kasha (bows and pet collars); Angelsandmorehomemadecrafts (kitchen goods); Mabella (holistic body care; Blooming Faerie (water color paints and 3D printed dragons); Rustic Huckleberry (wood burning décor); Moonstone Forge 3D printing; Scentosaurus Rex (car fresheners, pens and candles); Poetic Earth LLC (scroll saw work and furniture); Arctic Treats (freeze-dried candy); The Joeful Alchemist (body butter); and Sakura Sweets (bread, pastries, drinks).

Krystal Corley owns Sugar Britches. On one side of her booth, she had an assortment of jams, jellies and pickled items such as pickled carrots and pickled watermelon rind for sale, and on the other side of the booth, bags of freeze-dried candy hung from the tent and were scattered across the table. She even had freeze-dried chicken feet for dog treats. Some of her jellies included unique flavors like sweet tea jelly and Mountain Dew jelly, as well as Baja Blast jelly, and some whiskey flavored jellies.

Corley said she had been looking for farmers markets in the area to sell at. She said she also has eggs and chickens in addition to the jams and jellies and pickled items. After being invited to the Community Farmers Market Facebook group, Corley said it has made it easier to sell locally and meet local people.

“Cove needed a farmers market for a really long time,” Corley said. “A lot of the other farmers markets, like Kempner, Lampasas, Gatesville, they're very active, and the community's really active with it. So, I'm glad Copperas Cove is doing these.”

Diana Zarata, owner of Sweet Spice and Nailed by Deez, said this farmers market allowed her the chance to have a spotlight for her candy business in a local setting. Zarata said she is based in Killeen, but she had been going to farmers markets in Waco and other areas.

“I'm super excited with the fact that I'm not trying to drive to Waco every other week,” Zarata said. “Cove had like a mini farmers market before, but that one’s just super small, and they’ve been wanting more, so to see [Cline] actually make this bigger and see the outcome, that they are ready for such a fast turnaround is nice, because Cove has been wanting something, and not having to drive that far out to get it. It’s really nice to see local vendors coming this way, to be able to bring their stuff.”

The Community Farmers Market will be held at 302 S. 2nd Street (at the corner of S. 2nd Street and Avenue E) on the first Saturday of each month, with the next market date being June 1st, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.