The Wiregrass Farmers Market has opened for the fall season, and many vendors have returned to provide seasonal produce, meat, flowers, and more. Most Wiregrass vendors are at the market routinely in the spring and fall, but many can also be found out of season through their businesses.
Not every vendor was available for interview, but there are many more! To see who else is at the market, visit the Wiregrass Farmers Market Facebook page, or their Instagram at @wiregrassfarmersmarkettift.
Granddaddy’s Farm
Regenerative farming for better food, health, and land quality is gaining popularity as many look for sustainably sourced food. Ernie and Angela Baldree with Granddaddy’s Farm are working to build up exhausted agricultural land with rotational, multispecies grazing.
The Baldrees sell locally raised, 100% grass-finished beef, Thanksgiving turkeys, broiler chickens, pork, and occasionally eggs. They can be found at Wiregrass whenever it is open, as well as on their Facebook page, Granddaddy’s Farm, and their website http://www.gobblemoo.com.
The Flower Lady
Brenda Spampinato does not have a name for her business, but she has nontheless been at the market since 2017, providing fresh cut flowers and arrangements for people. All her flowers are grown in her yard, and the containers are all hand-me-downs gathered from thrift stores and by donation.
“I do the easy part, God does the hard part. The sunshine and the rain, I give Him all the credit for his glorious creation,” she commented.
Brenda can be found at the market every Saturday.
Green Anole Farms
Tropical and exotic fruits don’t normally come to mind when many think of Georgia. Walker and Julia Bennett are working to change that, demonstrating that many unique fruit trees can grow and thrive in South Georgia. They hope to introduce diverse fruits into peoples’ diets through the trees and starters at their nursery.
“You normally have to drive pretty far to get tropical fruit trees; We’re bringing them here. There’s a lot of fruits that grow very well in South Georgia that many don’t think about, like pineapple,” commented Walker.
He went on to mention that they need as much community support as possible to keep their nursery and agroforestry project alive.
The Bennett’s are at Wiregrass every Saturday selling young trees, starters, and herbs. More information and products can be found on their Facebook and Etsy, both named Green Anole Farms.
Wishum Farms
“I just enjoy doing it, it’s a nice little hobby,” commented Jerry Wishum, a retired farmer who is continuously at Wiregrass selling homegrown produce and hand-carved knives. While providing a diverse selection of produce for the customers at Wiregrass, his real passion is the artisan knives he sells right next to them.
Depending on the season, Jerry sells blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers, okra, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and more. He can be found at the market every week.
House of Sprouts
Packed with nutritional benefits and easy to add to a lot of dishes, Jennifer Powell provides locally grown microgreens and sprouts. Microgreens are the seedlings of edible plants, but many don’t know that smaller produce often has a higher nutrient density.
Jennifer sells broccoli sprouts, salad mixes, mung bean sprouts, sunflower sprouts, and more. She can be found at the market every week, as well as on her Facebook page, House of Sprouts
