On The Record: The Best Of Denton, August 14, 2009 Page: 21 of 60
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Growers fight with temperatures and rainfall to produce the best crops for the market.
said of his crops.
The parking lot is full with cars, and the shoppers
crowd the walkways, stopping at each table to view
the various produce.
Laura Touchstone, a UNT social work senior and
veteran of farmers markets in Oregon (her home
state), recently visited the Denton market for the
first time.
"It's different from a grocery store. The food
tastes a lot fresher, and the flavors are richer,"
Touchtone said.
Denton grower April Sims has gardened for three
years, growing organic fruits, peppers, herbs and
tomatoes. This is her first year to sell at the market.
"We offer things Kroger can't provide," Sims
said. "We have different varieties, fresh jam and no
pesticides."
Weather Permitting
While some are seeking air conditioning indoors
to beat the heat, growers are outside watering the
garden. Growers constantly fight with inconsistent
rainfall and high summer temperatures, a challeng-
ing combination.
Bobby Stout has been growing and selling at the
market for more than 30 years.
"The weather always affects us one way or the
other," he said.
While the current economic downturn has proven
to be damaging to retail sales, the farmers market
has seen a steady increase of shoppers in the last two
years, Stout said.
Grower Myra Smith of Denton has been selling
there since 1975 and has noticed a new group of
faces this year.
"A lot of my customers this year are young,
single men and young couples," she said. "They are
becoming wonderful young chefs."
Smith sits in the large, white trailer at the end of
the lot selling cantaloupe, okra, jam, tomatoes, pep-
pers and peaches. A large crowd is gathered at her
window.
21
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On The Record: The Best Of Denton, August 14, 2009, periodical, 2009; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145820/m1/21/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.