Vendors who sell at the Norman Farm Market cultivate and harvest locally grown plants, vegetables and other homemade goods. Many of the vendors sell at several farmer’s markets every day of the week.
by Jordan Evans
When Bucky Gibson worked in the Wal-Mart loading docks, he noticed that food crates sat for days until the produce wasn’t fresh. He began to realize consumers had better options than buying food from chain supermarkets.
Now the owner of a two-acre farm, Gibson controls not only how fast the products make it to consumers but also how the fruit and vegetables are grown. He runs the farm with the help of his mother, who has grown produce for years. Together, they are able to provide fresher, more natural food, which he sells at area farmers markets.
Gibson is one among many involved in the “locavore” movement, those who want locally grown food. Consumers in this movement believe they can trust what they eat because they know who is growing their food.
Some 60 farmers markets across Oklahoma have given these vendors a platform to sell from and consumers a place to interact with the people producing their food. The Norman Farm Market at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds is in its 35th season.
Jellies on display at the Norman Farm Market.
Consumer Leanna Richter said she likes the Norman Farm Market because she can speak with the person who grew her food.
Richter said she stays informed about how the chemicals used to grow food have caused damaged to animals and the environment.
“I read about it, and it makes me sad there wasn’t as much [information] about it when I was a kid, so I want to do better for my kids,” Richter said.
People buy locally because of the natural process, which avoids hormones and pesticides and limits the use of chemicals. While some vendors admit to using fertilizers, they also say they intentionally minimize their use.
“You’ve got better control over your fertilizers and watering with small farmers compared to someone with over 100 acres of squash or cucumbers,” Gibson said.
Local food vendors said they could farm organically in part because they own smaller farms.
Amy Hofstetter and Bryan Dennis own a three-acre farm outside of Noble. Both moved from a large organic farm in Chicago to Oklahoma. They grow produce and raise chickens without the use of inorganic material.
“It came from a lot of documentaries and learning a lot about people being very disconnected from their food,” Hofstetter said. “We wanted to become more connected to our food.”
Both said the price of organic foods can sometimes be higher than comparable grocery store items because the all-natural supplies, such as the chicken feed they buy, is roughly $5-$10 more per bag than the chemically altered alternative.
Local growers also can offer more variety. Rick Pearce’s Renrick’s Farm and Gardens in Chickasha, Okla., is known for specialty products not always available at grocery stores and larger farms.
“[Customers] can’t find the variety we offer, and they can’t find, for example, the day lilies I grow,” Pearce said. “You can’t even find the day lilies I sell at other nurseries anywhere in the state.”
Gibson said he cultivates squash, cucumbers, zucchini and other vegetables, plus more than a dozen fruit trees. He has the freedom to grow what he wants and how to grow it.
“And the farmer I pick up from in Ardmore has probably an acre of some tame blackberries and about two acres of wild blackberries,” Gibson said. “We have sand plums and plums and apples. And we’ve just got a little bit of everything that we can offer to people.”
Home grown fruits and vegatables sold at Norman Farmers Market.
