Proud To Be A Farmer: Inside the Enterprise Farmers Market

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - When you visit any Wiregrass farmers market, you’re greeted with a smile from familiar faces in your community.

Whether it’s the comradery amongst vendors, or the support from returning customers, serving the community is what makes those at the Enterprise Farmers Market “Proud To Be A Farmer.”

Billy Peters has been selling his locally grown produce at the Enterprise Farmers Market for 7 years.

He says “If they come out here and buy it, it’s fresh. Everything is picked, you know, daily. All my stuff in the summertime, anyway. If you go to Walmart, you don’t know how long it’s been picked. That makes a difference with everything here. It’s better when it’s fresh.”

Unlike other farmers markets, the one in Enterprise is open year-round.

They sell more than just fresh produce, and their set up is top tier.

According to Charles Clark, “This is a beautiful facility. We’re not on dirt or cobblestone, and we do have this great roof over us, so that does protect us from the weather.”

Vendors like Clark, who has sold his handmade leather products at other markets, know how important the relationship with customers is for his business.

“The more that people interact with you, the more that they get to know you, the more that they trust you. So, if you’re putting forth a good product at a good price, that develops a trust,” Clark said.

The average shopper probably thinks market vendors compete against one another.

Clark says, it’s actually the opposite.

“The reality is that vendors become vendor’s best customers and best allies.”

Takia Allen encompasses just that.

“I am the new one on the block and everyone has been very welcoming. They give me little tricks of the trade,” Allen said.

Now a retired 20-year Army veteran, Allen decided to venture out to the Enterprise Farmers Market where she sells handmade crafts.

That courage came from visiting and interacting with other vendors while she shopped.

She said, “I would come multiple times a month to see what other people had to offer, to get actual produce, and just to engage with the other people and see, kind of, what was out there. So, it was a no brainer that the farmer’s market was the place for me to be.”

Whether you’re a seasoned market vendor or new to the game, the farmers market family works together with one goal in mind – serving their community with pride.

“I feel like I’m serving my community by serving the customers of Enterprise and the local area. And that makes me feel like I’m doing something productive besides just crafting. I’m impacting someone’s life in a positive way, and that brings joy to my heart,” Allen concluded.

The Enterprise Farmers Market is open from 7 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 525 N Main Street.

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