What’s up my Eaters!!  This week I am going to chat with you all about my favorite place to shop and buy groceries.  It is my opinion that this place is one of Fayette counties’ crown Jewels.  You can shop there every Saturday, whether it rains or shines, year-round.  I’m talking about the Peachtree City Farmers Market in the Bank of America parking lot at 215 Northlake Drive.

Several years ago, I was discussing Pink’s Barbecue with one of my chef partners.  He put me in contact with the landlord of a new share kitchen.  The details of what happened next are escaping me as I write this.  However, as a result, I became a tenant of hers.  She also suggested I consider becoming a vendor at the local farmer’s market.  It took a while, but after a few months of patiently waiting, I was accepted as a vendor.  I could have gotten into other markets sooner, but it was very important to me that my first market was Peachtree City’s.   It was important because Peachtree City is home.  I wanted to ensure the foundation on which I was building Pink’s was laid in the community in which it was born.

I am entering my 3^rd or 4^th season as a full-time vendor at the Peachtree City Farmers Market.  It is my flagship market, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I love this market for its quality and diversity in vendors.   When I am not there, I find myself yearning for the interaction with my local community and my vendor family.  The market provides the opportunity for producers and consumers to engage one another in a way that is personal and consistent.  We teach each other.  As a vendor I can learn about my customers on a personal level.  Their names, what they do, where they’ve been, and where they are going become common.  Relationships form and trust is built.   This dynamic is so much more fulfilling than the average shopping experience one gets at a traditional grocer or retailer.  Over the years I have seen vendor and customer interactions at the market turn into close business relationships and friendships.  If nothing else, the eats are great, the artisan products are too, and the people watching is better than you’ll find on a streaming platform.

Every week 40 vendors setup up at the market.  Some are there every week.  Others set up bi-weekly or monthly.  All the vendors have something special to offer.  Alison Vallee, who has been the market manager for 6 ½ years and was a vendor for three years before that, has taken great care in curating the market’s vendor list.  It has been her goal to bring culturally diverse food to the market for the community to try.  She has accomplished this.   Every week the market offers food from around the globe. Latin, southern, middle eastern, and different European cuisines are always represented.  She always has a waiting list of vendor prospects too.  When asked about her vision for the market, Alison stated, “My vision was and is to bring family back to the dinner table with farm to table meals.”

The Peachtree City Farmers Market is much different today than when it started over 15 years ago.  Alison says, “since I’ve been manager, I’ve seen it grow into a beautiful marketplace where people gather and talk about food.”  As a vendor, I see firsthand what this looks like weekly.  Fayette and Coweta County take it seriously.  However, more people need to know that this gem exists.   Every week hundreds and sometimes thousands of people brave the elements descend upon this parking lot market to come shop and connect with their friends, loved ones, and their vendors.  The smiles and laughter, the eagerness to take the first bite, the intentionality customers exhibit to get their favorite goods is lifegiving.  As a chef and content creator, these are the things that make the Peachtree City Farmers Market so special.  Alison, thank you for your devotion to your community and the market.  It would not be one of the crown jewels of this community without you.

Here is a list of the vendors I most regularly visit:

Big Daddy’s Boiled Peanuts – try the lemon pepper mixed with spicy

Juiced & Aligned – the most delicious and balanced cold press juices

Choate Family Farms – the best lamb you could ever eat

Circle M Farms – your source for beautiful produce, chicken and duck eggs

Finkles Donuts – the most tasty and unique donuts and sourdough you’ve eaten

Bistro To Go – English muffins and ginger cookies (TRUST me)

Pink’s Barbecue – heat and serve barbecue, pork rinds, and catering

Join us next week as we kickoff Spring and highlight all that is going on in and around Fayette County over the next few weeks.  Also, come see me or my team at the Peachtree City Farmers Market every Saturday.  You can also look for new uploads every week on Youtube on The Eating Chambers Channel.