Ronald Hale has over 100 peach trees and over 100 apple trees producing fruit on his farm in the Fairview community.
“It’s more work than I thought,” said Hale, who spent years in the nursery industry before making a shift to sell produce. “But it’s worth it because it doesn’t get much better than peach cobbler.”
Peach cobbler will be in abundance this Saturday at the Farmers Market as servings will be given away beginning at 7:30 a.m. Regular hours for the Farmers Market are 6 a.m. to noon.
“Last year I made four pans and gave away about 350 servings,” said Farmers Market manager Mary Cantrell. “This year, I’ll have even more. I’m looking at cooking six pans and we’ll have it till we run out.”
If peach cobbler isn’t enough incentive, the Farmers Market will have tables bursting with farm-fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, beans, and okra.
Vegetable vendor Christy Melton says she wants to make local senior citizens aware of a program offered through a partnership between the Farmers Market and Warren County Health Department that provides $15 of free produce in July and $20 in August.
“It’s great because they get homegrown, quality fruits and vegetables,” said Melton, who helps Dennis Barnes with his farm in Fairview. “A lot of times people are used to putting out a garden, but as they get older they don’t do it anymore. This program is out there and I wish more people knew about it. The food is good for you and they can get it for free.”
To qualify for the program, you must be a resident of Warren County and be 60 or over.
For more information, call the Health Department at 473-8468. Annual income guidelines are as follows:
Family of 1 -- $15,444
Family of 2 -- $20,826
Family of 3 -- $26,208
Family of 4 -- $31,590.