Selma farmers market opens

Published 4:41 pm Saturday, June 4, 2016

The Master Gardeners of Dallas County held a plant sale in addition to their annual Butterfly Awareness Day event at the Bloch Park farmers market on Saturday. From left to right are group members Evelyn Cox, Mitch McKinney, Peggie Verhoff, Michele McNeill, Tina Lancaster, Adrienne Patterson, Carla Schuerman and Jan Justice.

The Master Gardeners of Dallas County held a plant sale in addition to their annual Butterfly Awareness Day event at the Bloch Park farmers market on Saturday. From left to right are group members Evelyn Cox, Mitch McKinney, Peggie Verhoff, Michele McNeill, Tina Lancaster, Adrienne Patterson, Carla Schuerman and Jan Justice.

Bloch Park’s farmers’ market was blooming with flowers, butterfly facts and locally grown food this weekend.

Saturday morning marked the first official day open for the farmers’ market. It was also the Master Gardener’s plant sale and third-annual Butterfly Awareness Day.

“We’ve had a beautiful morning,” said Master Gardener Evelyn Cox. “[We’ve had] great participation. The farmers have sold out on about all of their goods they brought.”

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Robert Scheurman is an owner and farmer of Petal Pushers Farm in Valley Grande. He and his wife, Carla, have been selling their farmed and homemade goods at the market for the past four years.

“It was really busy,” Scheurman said. “When we sell out, we leave.”

For the farmers, their day at the market began at 6 a.m. Within only a few short hours, nearly all of the farmers had sold out and left the pavilion.

Items sold included jams, jellies, dried herbs, vegetables, fruits, homemade soaps, baked goods and other foods.

“Everything is grown in Alabama and most everything is local,” Scheurman said.

The farmers come from surrounding areas like Valley Grande, Marion and Clanton.

The market is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning during the growing season.

At the back of the pavilion, the Master Gardeners’ had a booth set up for its plant sale and annual Butterfly Awareness Day.

“We all donated flowers, plants and trees,” Cox said. “Whatever we have been growing.”

The proceeds of the plant sale will go toward funding a website for the group. The website will provide information on how to join the club as well as information on how to plant and what kinds of plants grow well in the area.

Cox also organized and instructed the Butterfly Awareness Day event.

She said butterfly awareness is particularly important for Selma, considering it is the Butterfly Capital of Alabama.

“Mainly, I talked about ways we can enhance our butterfly population in our area,” Cox said. “We don’t want to lose our butterflies.”

Other topics touched during the event included information on why butterflies are important to gardening, how to attract them to home gardens and other fun facts.

Cox believes the event, plant sale and farmers’ market was an overall success.

“I’m thankful,” Cox said. “We look forward to doing it again.”