Farmers Market donates $1K to community garden

The Simpsonville Farmers Market has graciously donated $1,000 to the Harmony Garden.

Simpsonville, S.C. — The Simpsonville Farmers Market has graciously donated $1,000 to the Harmony Garden.

Farmers Market committee member Dianne Carson presented City of Simpsonville Mayor Paul Shewmaker a $1,000 check towards a new sign for the community garden at the Farmers Market on Saturday.

“During these past years, the City has been very helpful to our market, resulting in steady growth over the past 11 years,” Carson said. “We started with five vendors, and now look at us: almost 40 vendors this year. A very important result of the market’s success is that today for the fourth year in a row we are able to donate $1,000 to a local nonprofit. We are so pleased to help our community garden this year. Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers!”

Mayor Shewmaker said it was a “pleasure and honor” to receive such a “substantial gift” towards the Harmony Garden, a community garden staffed by volunteers, and added the Market is a “great resource” for the City.

“This is what 'farm to table' and 'buy local' means,” Mayor Shewmaker said. “Being able to buy produce that’s picked less than 24 hours before it’s sold should be reason enough to shop at the market, but it also helps local growers stay in business. Most farmers receive less than a quarter of each food dollar spent at a typical grocery store. At our market they receive the whole dollar. The City of Simpsonville is proud to sponsor the Farmers Market and extends its thanks to the market committee and all the vendors for giving back to the community."

The City thanks the Simpsonville Farmers Market, including Farmers Market Manager Tanya Bryson of Possum Kingdom Creamery, and all the volunteers who make Harmony Garden possible.

Full speech by Simpsonville Farmers Market committee member Dianne Carson:

“Morning everyone! It’s really great to be at our market on this gorgeous June day.

I remember back about seven years ago when I was in the Harmony Garden with several other volunteers. We really worked hard to get those first crops going, especially when the garden had poor soil and lots of weeds. Then the rains came, and it rained and rained and rained. The weeds quickly outgrew the veggies, but we still showed up to do what we could.

Since then, our community garden has made several improvements, resulting in bumper crops of veggies, all to help feed those less fortunate in our community.

During these past years, the City of Simpsonville has been very helpful to our market, resulting in steady growth over the past 11 years. We started with five vendors, and now look at us: almost 40 vendors this year.

A very important result of the market’s success is that today for the fourth year in a row we are able to donate $1,000 to a local nonprofit. We are so pleased to help our community garden this year. Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers!” 

(Left to right: Michelle Ellis, Bethel Trail Farm; June Sparks, Country Crafts; Dianne Carson, Committee Member; Mayor Paul Shewmaker, City of Simpsonville; and Amanda Hudson Hernandez of Simply Divine Darling. Committee Member and the Farmers Market Manager Tanya Bryson of Possum Kingdom Creamery is not pictured.)

Simpsonville Farmers Market committee member Dianne Carson presents City of Simpsonville Mayor Paul Shewmaker with a $1,000 check towards a new sign for Harmony Garden, a community garden staffed by volunteers, at the Farmers Market on June 13, 2020.