As temperatures begin to drop, farmers markets across Utah County begin to come to a close.
Utah County's farmers markets provide local vendors and customers a common place to find and purchase their goods, with some vendors accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Vendors include farmers, food trucks, local artists and non-profits.
Participating farmers markets provide benefits to customers through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Qualifying customers can get up to $60 worth of eligible food per market day.
“You get double the fruits and vegetables when you buy from the farmers market,” Gabrielle Martinson, a Provo Farmers Market regular, said.
Only household foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products can be purchased via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to its website.
Items such as liquor, tobacco products, vitamins, any non-food items and hot foods cannot be purchased through the program.
There are nine farmers' markets in Utah County that occur every week during the summer months.
Monday
- Springville Farmers Market, Springville Civic Center, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
- Santaquin Hometown Market, Centennial Park, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m., open until Sept. 30.
- Salem Farmers Market, 741 North SR 198, 5 p.m. to sunset.
Tuesday
- Draper Farmers Market, Smith Fields Park, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Wednesday
- Orem Farmers Market, Orem City Center Park, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday
- Lindon Farmers Market, Lindon City Center Park, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday
- Provo Farmers Market, Pioneer Park, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Eagle Mountain Farmers Market, 5806 Pony Express Parkway, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., open until Sept. 28
- Spanish Fork Farmers Market, 775 W Center St, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Springville, Draper, Orem and Lindon Farmers Markets are run by Sunset Farmers Markets. Starting Sept. 30, all Sunset Farmers Markets will close at 8 p.m. and will shut down for the season in the last week of October. The Lindon Market will end on Oct. 10, according to its website.
Starting Oct. 5, the Provo Farmers Market will open at 10 a.m. and will run until Oct. 26.
Kelly Carter and his wife Jessica Carter manage the Sunset Farmers Markets in Springville, Lindon, Draper and Orem while running their own booth, Carter’s Family Farm.
Kelly Carter organized the Sunset Farmers Markets to bring in more local farmers on his weekday events, he said.
“We'd love to get more farmers here at all the markets, but there's not a ton of local produce to go around,” Kelly Carter said. “That's why we don't run markets on the weekends. It gives the farmers an opportunity to keep the plants picked and do it as a full-time job.”
In addition to weekday markets, Kelly Carter lowered the booth price to $5 per market day in an effort to involve more famers.
“Even the backyard gardeners can come out here and still make money, and we get more variety that way,” Kelly Carter said.
Matt Taylor is the executive director of the Provo Farmers Market, an independent non-profit organization. Taylor began his involvement in the market in 2009 and is in his fifth season as executive director.
In an effort to bring in more local produce, Taylor started the Utah Valley Garden Co-Op to collect products from local backyard gardeners, he said.
To become a vendor at a Sunset Farmers Market, visit the website of the market you wish to attend and apply online. Vendor fees vary depending on the nature of the booth they wish to operate and which farmers market they wish to apply for. Only upon approval of a vendor's application are fees required to be paid.
Kelly Carter runs the Sunset Farmers Markets because of his love of farming and connecting with customers, he said.
"It's just back to the way we used to be, and we've lost a lot of that in our society today," Taylor added. "That's why I love it."