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Knox County Parks & Recreation

News Release

April 20, 2009

Contact: Doug Bataille, 215-6600

David Vandergriff, 215-2340

NEW HARVEST PARK FARMERS MARKET RETURNS FOR SECOND SEASON

Customers old and new will be delighted to know that Knox County Parks and Recreation’s New Harvest Park Farmers Market will open for the season on Thursday, April 23, from 3 until 6 p.m. New Harvest Park is located at 4775 New Harvest Lane in northeast Knox County, just past the Target on Washington Pike.

Local growers from Knox and neighboring counties will provide fresh, quality produce each Thursday afternoon until November 19. At the start of the season, produce will include lettuce, asparagus, hydroponic tomatoes, plants, and artisan food products.

“We were very pleased with the Farmers Market last year,” said Doug Bataille, Senior Director for Knox County Parks and Recreation. “New Harvest Park, with the splash pad and walking trail, has become a gathering place for citizens in that part of the county. We’ve had numerous calls about when the market will reopen, so we know people will be excited to hear this news,” Bataille added.

The market, with funding provided by a grant from the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program, began last May and featured as many as 14 different vendors providing products including vegetables, fruits, several different varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, organic produce, flowering plants, herbs, dairy products and even meats. The number of vendors will vary each week, depending on the season and availability of produce.

“Our vendors provide a variety of unique, high quality products that our customers have come to expect,” said UT Agricultural Extension Agent David Vandergriff. “We are careful about who is included at this market. We make sure the products are all locally grown and very high quality, which make them fresher, healthier and taste better,” Vandergriff added.

Farmers Market are growing in popularity around the country. In addition to supporting the local economy and family farms, the markets are environmentally friendly. They reduce the need for transporting products and cut down on packaging. To help this effort, customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags.