Greenbelt Farmers Market Announces 2012 Vendors

The fifth season of the Greenbelt Farmers Market will see two new vendors join the team for its Mother's Day opening on May 13—located in the heart of historic Greenbelt, MD, on the west parking lot.

And the two newbies are Michele's Granola and Palmyra Farm Cheese.

Michele's Granola hails from Timonium, MD, and makes five varieties of granola that it states are prepared with all-natural and organic ingredients. It also states that it maintains a small batch process, uses no preservatives, and is certified vegan.

Palmyra Farm Cheese is a local family farm located near Hagerstown, MD. Some 300 purebred registered dairy cows call the farm their home. Palmyra farm states that only whole milk produced by its cows is used to make its 100 percent pure pasteurized cheeses. Their cheeses are farmstead artisan cheeses and come in several variations.

When it comes to new market vendors, Treasurer Joe Gareri said, "We're always looking to round out the offerings we have."

He said he was also "very excited to have the folks back who have been with us from the start, who put their trust in an untested market."

He talked about the initial farms that decided to give Greenbelt a try when a lot of vendors want to first know how many people come to the market every week and what the average sales are. "And these guys pretty much dove in with just our word," he said.

Both new and old members are readying themselves for a new season, running Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May 13-Nov. 18 (except for Labor Day weekend).

The full list of vendors includes the following, with other additions possible:

Greenbelt Farmers Market 2012 Vendors

(List Updated on May 11 at 1:44 p.m.)

• Calvert Farm
• Crepes at the Market
• Eco-Armour
• Elk Run Vineyards
• Ferguson Family Farms
• Glade Link Farms
• Michele's Granola
• Mystic Water Soap
• Palmyra Farm Cheese
• Pat Hochmuth Farm
• Patty's Garden
• Pleitez Produce
• Shlagel Farms
• Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe
• Stone Hearth Bakers
• Sunrise Catering
• Thanksgiving Farms
• Three Springs Fruit Farm
• Two Oceans True Foods
• Zeke's Coffee of Baltimore

It's not just the vendors who have made the market successful, according to Gareri, who said, "We hear constantly from the farmers about how wonderful the people in Greenbelt are."

For the latest on the market, take a look at the Greenbelt Farmers Market website.