A kick-off meeting for vendors and others interested in participating this year in Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at the N.C. Cooperative Extension office on Raccoon Road.  

The market’s board of directors will answer questions vendors may have regarding 2012 guidelines or other matters. Extension service representatives, and USDA officials, will also be present.

This will be an opportunity for vendors to submit applications for the season if they have not already done so. The 2012 season will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays from April through the end of October. The fee for the season is $50, the same as last year. The day vendor fee will again be $10 per set up. Vendors from Haywood and adjoining counties in North Carolina are welcome to participate.

Opening day will be, Saturday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the HART Theater parking lot on Pigeon Street in Waynesville. The board decided to close each market day at noon rather than 1 p.m. this year because many vendors had voiced a preference for the earlier closing time. This will be the market’s fourth full season of offering locally grown produce, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, cheese, preserves, honey, local meat, culinary herbs, perennial plants, fresh North Carolina seafood and heritage crafts.  

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market is affiliated with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) and is a member of the Mountain Tailgate Market Association. These organizations benefit farmers and consumers by promoting farmers markets and making the public aware of the availability of fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables.

828.550.4748; or, visit www.waynesvillefarmersmarket.com.