Fresh, home-grown produce and other food are not the only things you may find at the Jamestown Public Market.

If you venture downtown on a Saturday to Third Street bewteen Main and Cherry streets you will probably find something that you like or you may find someone that you know shopping.

The market is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the season closing at the end of October.

According to Market Director Linnea Carlson, “We try to have something for everyone. We have live music every week with local artists.”

She noted that children can come each Saturday and participate in an acivity, and learn about local agriculture. She said the market’s mission is “to build the city of Jamestown’s local food system through the promotion of locally-grown, raised, and crafted foods and goods, the encourgae ment of a healthy, nourishing lifestyle, and the offereing of related education and economic opportunties.”

Recipes sampling, which started recently, has become something that patrons experience. Carlson said orginizations are able come and set up a tent and share information with area residents.

“It’s open to anybody. It is any local business or non-profit (organization)” Carlson said.

Carlso said the she has worked with the Scandinavian Festival and the Whirlybird Festival this year. The ability to support local is what Carlson most likes about the market, and, she said, with big-box grocery stores, local farmers are not getting support.

“Most of our, all of our farmers are family-owned, family-run. The money stays local,” Carlson added.

To be considered local, she said, vendors are within a 40-mile radius, and the produce vendors are usually within a 20-mile radius. Carlson noted the market has about 20 vendors each week. There are also honey vendors, flower vendors, bakers, and crafters.

There is one rule that vendors do have to follow, Carlson said. Everything vendors sell, the vendors need to grow, raise or create themselves. And the weather is usally a determinate factor as to how patrons will show up.

“And we’re really thankful that people still come out in the rain,” Carlson added.

In the offseason, Carlson said there is still a lot of work to complete as well as preparing for the next season.

Hannah Bavuso, community coordinator, is busy working with Washington Middle School and Bush Elementary School to help the schools to work with Community Gardens. Bavuso said a grant from the USDA was key in getting the two schools involved with the programs.

According to jtownpublicmarket.org, the Community Gardens were started in 2012 on vacant lots in the City of Jamestown. The gardens are on land privately owned by community members supporting the program.

There are two gardens available for community members to rent plots: Lakeview Avenue at Sixth Street with 19 beds, and Washington Street at Eighth Street with 13 beds.

The original purpose of the community gardens, funded in a partnership between Jamestown Renaissance Corp. and the Chautauqua County Health Network, was to illustrate to the community the importance of practicing sustainable growing initiatives. Currently, the community gardens embody the market’s mission.

Since 2012, the website noted,the Community Garden Program has assisted in establishing gardens at Jamestown Community College on Curtis Street and by Northside PRIDE at the corner of Grant and E. Eighth streets. All three Jamestown Public Schools District middle schools have also established gardens and Jamestown High School has created a “The Garden of Weedin’ Club.”

If anyone is interested in becoming a vendor, Carlson said, he or she can apply at the website.

“And we take vendors through what we call Vendor 101 before the season starts to kind of give them some tips and tricks, and best practices for farmers’ markets — ideas for setup,” Carlson said.

Depending on the number of vendors, Carlson said the market may physically expand to more downtown streets west and east of the current market.

“I guess it really depends on what, what makes the most sense for the community. But also, you know, we try to support the local businesses that surround us as well,” Carlson said.

Lakewood has a similar setup for its Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market which is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The Village of Lakewood was extremely happy that the Farmers Market returned to Lakewood for the 2022 season. Many residents and visitors shopped at the market this summer on Thursdays and expressed that they are hoping the market will be a mainstay every summer going forward. We thank each vendor, all those that shopped the market, and the Village Clerk’s Office for coordinating the event. We look forward to the future markets in the years to come,” said Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb.

A portion of Chautauqua Avenue is cordened off between Summit and Terrace avenues. The market began in June and ended Sept. 9. For more information contact (716) 763-8557.

“I am on site to answer any questions about the village or the farmers’ market itself. I also help the vendors,” said Taryn Wilson, a volunteer in Lakewood.

Mike Brunacini and his family, of Jamestown, are patrons in Jamestown because he likes supporting local vendors.

“We come to the public market because we live here,” he said.

What could be a better reason?