Photo: Denton Community Market

Denton Community Market is back for another year of bringing visitors together with local farmers, craftspeople, food producers and artists.

The unique market is kicking off its 12th season this Saturday at Denton County Historical Park by welcoming over 60 vendors who will be bringing everything from micro-greens and milk to jams and jewelry.

Photo: Denton Community Market

The market will also feature entertainment. You can enjoy jazz from Simeon Davis and Jake Chaffee while you shop. Rather than playing in a designated area, the musicians will roam, performing among the crowd. You can also visit a reuse sound art installation by sculptor Will Frenkel called “Perennial Thyme.”

But besides the tomatoes, cheese, artwork, and entertainment what makes DCM stand out among markets is that it’s a producers-only farmers market, meaning vendors have to be the producer of everything they sell in their booth.

“We’re really big about educating the consumer,” said DCM Board President and farm vendor Caro Kauffman. “We’re passionate about people knowing about where their food comes from or how it got there. And in certain scenarios, you’ll find that things can be bought in bulk and repackaged and resold, and that sometimes can be misleading, so we try to be as transparent as possible and really just try to give new entrepreneurs an opportunity to start.”

And whether its vegetables or artwork, DCM requires everything sold at the market be locally made and produced within 100 miles of Denton.

Kauffman who sells honey, zucchini relish, and cut flowers at the market, says purchasing locally allows visitors to give back to the community.

“It really promotes the local economy by connecting food producers and artisans with the consumers.”

In addition to being locally made and producer-only, the group’s Certified Farmers Program promotes sustainable farm practices and environmental stewardship among its farmers, including chemical-free and/or natural methods, as well as humane treatment of farm animals.

Photo: Denton Community Market

The Denton Community Market is free and operates Saturdays, April through November, 9 a.m. to noon. This opening weekend the market will stay open an extra hour until 1 p.m.

All individuals over the age of 10 must wear a mask while at the market. Vendor booths will be spaced at least 6 feet apart and everyone is asked to practice social distancing, including when standing in line to visit a vendor and paying.

Got a tip? Email Therese Powell at tpowell@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @TheresePowell13

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