Buying Local at The Atherton Market

So you’re finally on board with buying local. You’ve read enough to know that produce trucked in from far flung corners of the globe is loaded with artificial preservatives, and churns out an unfortunate swath of black smoke on its way here. And while exotic produce may make cash registers ring in other currencies, it does little to help our local economy. You’re pretty sure that meat and dairy products laden with estrogen and antibiotics aren’t a good choice for your family, and you’re unimpressed with the bland tasting produce at the grocery store ; those genetically modified hybrid varieties that would earn a nod of approval from Dr. Frankenstein himself -  produce grown on corporate farms using an arsenal of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order to sell ‘ideal’ looking fruits and vegetables, whatever the season.

Okay, so you get it; choosing local and organic is a good thing. But where would one find high quality organic produce, hormone free meat and dairy products, plants, and other consumer goods? 

At area Farmer’s Markets.

Where can you find locally produced, high quality USDA certified organic produce, free range, hormone free beef, and dairy products, heirloom seedlings, artisanal cheeses, Carolina seafood, premium soaps, bath products and more, all produced by farmers and artisans from our area?  

The Atherton Market.

Visit the Atherton Market on a busy Saturday, and it’s hard to imagine its humble beginnings as a tailgate market - first just a small cluster of tents outside Plaza Midwood’s Common Market, later a larger tent on Camden Road  in Southend . In those first four years, market founder and manager Lynn Caldwell built a loyal following that exploded in 2010 when the market moved in into its spacious new home in the old trolley barn at the Atherton Mill.

A convenient location near Uptown, light rail access, and loads of parking paired with a well executed up-fit and tons of space for vendors and shoppers, have made for a destination that’s become as popular with the media as it with shoppers.

Interested in meeting the folks that grow your food face to face? Want to bring home the very best that area farmers and artisans have to offer?  Atherton Market is located at 2104 South Blvd. in Charlotte, and open Tuesday 3p-7p, Wednesday 11a-7p, and Saturday from 9a-2p . Visit The Atherton Mill and Market’s Facebook page  for photos, up to date info on special hours, vendors & more.