Shelly Shrock helps customers at the Shrock Family Farm booth on the last Pendleton Farmers Market of the year.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
People stroll the Pendleton Farmers Market on the last day, Sept. 28, a slow day because of weather in what has otherwise been a great year, according to organizers and vendors.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Don Stohler of Stohler Nut Farm in Frankton sells produce to Grace Roy and Chase Foltz, along with nephew Thompson Lee, on Sept. 28, the last day of the season forPendleton Farmers Market.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Ron Hansen passes a baked good to customer Brooklyn Harvey at Pee Paw’s Bake Shop, while their respective spouses, Cheryl Hansen and Thomas Harvey look on.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Pendleton Farmers Market manager Karyn Ledbetter pushes a barrier aside near the end of the last event of the year Sept. 28, in preparation for the exodus of vendors.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
PENDLETON — The 30th season for the weekly Pendleton Farmers Market came to a close at the end of September, with vendors saying the milestone year was also a banner one.
Ron Hansen, who works Pee Paw’s Bake Shop booth with his wife, Cheryl, described various aspects of the market with one glowing term.
“The season’s been great,” he said.
It was his second year at the market, operating a booth every other week.
“The weather’s been great and people have just been great,” Hansen said.
This year’s market ran from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays starting in May.
“It’s been good — it’s been better than it has been in the past,” said Shelly Shrock of Shrock Family Farms.
It’s the farm’s third year at the Pendleton market, selling, among other things, arugula and zuchinni. She said she wouldn’t mind the market continuing for a few more weeks.
“We have a lot more stuff in the fields right now,” she said.
Esta Branch, owner of Promise Coffee Roasters, said this year “was definitely a busier market” than in the past.
It’s her sixth year with a booth, and she said the market is bigger and she recognizes more regular shoppers than ever before.
Market manager Karyn Ledbetter said with 118 vendors participating this year, “this has been our best season.”
“Especially vegetable-wise,” she added, stating there were 13 vendors selling produce.
Looking forward, Ledbetter said “the winter market is in the air,” with details to come later.
The market is overseen by the Friends of Falls Park board of directors. Friends is a non-profit organization aimed at assisting the park board in preserving, improving and promoting the park.
Ledbetter thanked her committee members — Brenda Fedor, Phillip Jester, Annette Parker, Patti Schwalm and Jalinda Waid — for their help making the season a success.
And, she added, the 2025 season starts May 3.
Not all farmers markets in the South Madison County area are done for the year.
Lapel Farmers Market still has two dates left in its every-other-Sunday season.
It is set to be open 2-5 p.m. on Oct. 13 and Oct. 27 in the parking lot of Ford Street Church, 925 Ford St., Lapel.
For more details on that market, email [email protected].