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Columbia, Missouri Agriculture Park opens Saturday
The Columbia Agriculture Park opens on Saturday.
The space has multiple functions. One is that it’s the new permanent home for
the Columbia Farmers Market, which operates year-round. The covered pavilion means
operation of the market will be less affected by weather.
“Having this shelter will just be amazing for our organization,” said Corrina
Smith, executive director of the Columbia Farmers Market, “keeping our farmers
and their produce and our customers dry and cool or warm.”
Not only is it a place that brings farmers and food buyers together, but it has
an educational component, according to Smith.
“We’re going to be able to really help teach people how to grow food and where their
food comes from,” Smith told Brownfield Ag News Friday.
“The Agriculture Park is all about food,” said Adam Saunders, co-founder of the
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, who explains that the pavilion opening
Saturday represents the first of a two-phase building project.
“Ultimately we’ll have one long roof that will cover 98 vendor stalls and provide
buffer from the wind, the sun and the rain,” Saunders told Brownfield Friday, “and
make that a better experience for the growers to sell, but also for the customers
who come to shop.”
The market features, among other things, sweet corn, tomatoes, berries and
peaches, as well as meats, baked goods and canned goods.
“Rare things that you’re not going to find in the grocery store, like heirloom
mushrooms or fresh lavender, special very rare fruit, like persimmons,” she said,
“all kinds of really special things that you can find at the farmers market versus
at a grocery store.”
The new market is open Saturday, July 6th, from 8:00 a.m. until noon,
with a special dedication ceremony on
Saturday, July 13th.
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