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July 8, 2009
UPDATE….Coastal Harvesters postpones start
of Hatteras Island Farmers’ Market  “We are very excited about providing the residents of and visitors to Hatteras Island with a farmers’ market,” said Joanne Throne, president of Coastal Harvesters. “However, we underestimated the amount of time it would take to organize the market and raise the required funding.” Throne said deciding to suspend plans for the summer market was a difficult decision. The group hopes to have one market around Columbus Day in October and another during Thanksgiving week. If adequate funding is obtained, a full season of markets will be held in 2010. “We have applied for several grants and are crossing our fingers that they come through,” Throne said. “We will also be holding a fundraiser or two this summer.” If you would like to make a donation to Coastal Harvesters, Inc., please send it to PO Box 906, Buxton NC 27920. If you would like to volunteer to help organize the market, please send email to info@coastalharvesters.org or contact Joanne Throne at 252-996-0679. May 19, 2009 New group aims to bring a farmer’s market to Hatteras Island By JOY CRIST
Coastal
Harvesters’ President Joanne Throne, after years in the
restaurant business with the successful Mad Crabber in Avon, did not
intend to start up another business so soon.
“The first year is tough, and I always said I would never venture into a major business endeavor again,” she says. “Well, that just shows you, never say never.” Less than a year after Throne and a few friends bounced ideas around about how wonderful a farmer’s market would be on Hatteras Island, Coastal Harvesters is planning to launch the first local’s farmer’s market, with a projected opening of late June or early July. “It’s a lot of work to get everything tied together,” she says, “but I’m amazed at how quickly everything has progressed.” The original premise for Coastal Harvesters, Inc. is simple -- provide good local food to a great local community. “There was a time,” says Throne, “where locals grew their own vegetables and produced their own food, and we were independent from the rest of the world. Now, we’ve grown dependent on other sources.” Coastal Harvesters would like to get a little of that independence back. The market will initially feature lots of fresh vegetables, herbs, honey, baked goods, artwork, and more local fare from Hatteras Island and all over northeastern North Carolina. In larger communities, such as Raleigh, it’s not unusual to restrict farmer’s markets to growers who live within a 50-mile radius. On Hatteras Island, Coastal Harvesters is accepting farmers from 200 miles away. But the small community of Hatteras Island, despite being located miles away from the rest of the world, is having little trouble finding a wide variety of fresh delicious produce. “I tried some sugar snap peas, spinach, and bok choy from a farmer in Edenton,” says Throne, “and it was simply remarkable how fresh the product was.” The Hatteras Island farmer’s market is scheduled to be open every Tuesday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Fesseden Center in Buxton. “We were delighted to get the Fesseden Center, but they were very excited about it too,” says Throne. “Everyone has been enthusiastic about the idea.” While typical community farmer’s markets open on the weekends, the Tuesday hours will allow weekly vacationers, who generally check in and out on Saturdays and Sundays, to stop in early in their vacation and enjoy locally grown food. The linchpin of the market will be Uli Bennovitz of Weeping Radish, who is a pioneer in the field of local organic gardening. His organic farming has been an inspiration to Coastal Harvesters, and he has forged the path for organic gardening and farmer’s markets to flourish on the Outer Banks. “He is truly a leader in our eyes,” says Throne. Eventually, Coastal Harvesters would like to see more produce locally grown, on land donated for their own garden, paticuarly in a central location such as Avon or Buxton. The organization is also encouraging Dare County to allow individual fishermen to sell their wares at the market, an act which can be granted by an individual county and is already in place in several North Carolina counties. In addition, Coastal Harvesters is committed to giving back to the community via charity at every opportunity. At least 10 percent of the vegetables grown in the eventual community garden will be given to charity, and organizers will encourage people who visit the market to consider donating some of their purchased goods to local food pantries. In the meantime, Coastal Harvesters is slowly paving the way from a good idea to a local revolution of sorts of fresh organic gardening, locally grown and locally sold. Folks interested in being involved are welcome, and the only informal pre-requisite is a love of food. Lifetime membership to Coastal Harvesters is $25, and the organization is always on the lookout for volunteers of any kind – whether it’s a piece of land on loan for a garden or locally baked goods to sell at the market. “We welcome the community and want them to participate as much as possible,” says Throne. And thanks to the efforts of Coastal Harvesters, locals and visitors alike will have a summer farmer’s market to look forward to on Hatteras Island. “In the end,” says Throne, “we think everyone, growers and the community alike, will be healthier, wealthier, and happier.” FOR MORE INFORMATION Coastal Harvesters is a membership-based organization, governed by a board of directors. In addition to Throne, initial board members include vice-president Bernie Tetreault, secretary Shelby Kinnaird, and treasurer Steve Nelson. Two ad hoc seats on the board have not been filled. General membership is available for a one-time $25 fee. Fees should be mailed to Coastal Harvesters, Inc., P.O. Box 906, Buxton, NC 27920. Individuals wanting more information can contact the organization at info@coastalharvesters.org. |
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