The overwhelming aroma of fresh produce welcomes shoppers to Norman’s Farm Market, where dozens of booths from local farms sell farm-grown fruit, vegetables, herbs, natural soaps, bread, honey, fruit preserves and flowers.
The Norman Farm Market opened for its 30th season at the beginning of April, and will remain open from 8 a.m. to noon every Wednesday and Saturday until October.
Approximately 500 to 600 people shop at the market each Saturday, which is usually busier than Wednesday, said Richard Kill, president of vendors.
Kill, who has sold produce at the market for nine years, said the goal of the Farm Market is to bring fresh produce and products to the Norman community.
“Most of [the produce] has been picked the night before and brought in instead of sitting in the grocery stores for two weeks,” Kill said.
Kill said the market is only open two days a week to allow the shoppers to use what they have bought from the market.
“If we had it open every day it would just be a trickle of people come in instead of the big crowds,” Kill said.
Barry Myze, of Myze Produce, said the main difference between the Farm Market food and the grocery store food is the better, richer taste of homegrown foods.
Myze said he has sold at the Norman Farm Market for six years. He said July through September is the busiest time for the market.
Dylan Ward, a Norman resident, said he shops at the market every Wednesday with his grandmother, Betty Groom. He said they like browsing the selections.
“The market is pretty successful,” Ward said. “I’ve seen the same people year after year.”
Betty Groom said she thought the market was a good place to come and visit with people. She said she shopped at the farm market to help local farmers.
“To help out the community, [the Norman community] should shop here instead of at the commercial grocery stores all over the country,” Groom said.
Kill said Norman is probably the premier market in the area. He said farmers from Guthrie, Ardmore, Seminole and other areas of Oklahoma come to the Norman Farm Market to sell their produce.
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