The vendors of the Brainerd Farmers’ Market will present a special Fall Harvest market on Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon. "We are inviting customers to Stand Up and Stand Out this fall season and savor the fall flavors of locally sustainable grown produce and gather your unique harvest season gifts crated by local artisans. The farmers’ market features fresh harvest produce, prepared meals, locally raised meats, naturally made home cleaning products, healthy pet foods, hand crafted home decor and fashion adornments," officials said.
The Brainerd Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday at the corner of Brainerd Road and Belvoir Ave. in the parking lot of Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. across from the Bi-Lo on Brainerd Road. The market is open to the public and features local foods and crafts for the community from May through December each year. Farmers located within fifty miles present their freshly harvested, naturally grown produce, farm fresh eggs, dairy and meat products. Bakers bring artisan breads, sweets and pastries, and fine artists; musicians and craftsmen round out the festive market.
The farmers’ market is the only venue in Chattanooga that those in need of nutritional assistance with Electronic Benefit Transfer can double their purchase dollars at every market.
"The Brainerd Farmers' Market was the first local farmers' market in Hamilton County to accept EBT cards and has since inspired other area markets to take the same meaningful step," officials stated. "The mission of the Brainerd Farmers’ Market is to make local organic and sustainably grown produce available and affordable to the Chattanooga Brainerd community and to encourage healthy local food choices for Brainerd residents through educational and financial assistance projects for low-income market patrons."
Outreach for the “Double SNAP Dollars” program is made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Episcoal Diocese, and gifts from community members. SNAP recipients may bring their EBT cards to the market and obtain tokens which may be used to purchase fresh local produce, dairy products, meat products, honey, preserves, baked goods, plants used to produce food at home and much more.