Market Sign Circa 1987

The following is a history of Piedmont Farmers Market as remembered by David Goforth, who served as Agricultural Extension Agent from October 1, 1986 until the time of this writing (June 8, 2010.)  It is written without references and subject to the typical vagrancies of memory and bias.

Piedmont Farmers market has its original roots in the Cabarrus County Farmers Market organized by E.E. Bishop, Agriculture Extension Agent, and originally held at the Cabarrus County Boys and Girls Club.  The only two vendors I know were at that site were Christine Almond and Sonny Yates' wife.  Mrs. Yates made the coffee and cake that was sold at this market.  Vendors had to unload trucks and transport their produce to the sales floor.

 After a few years the market moved to a site at 745 Cabarrus Ave. West.  Al Stanford was the Extension Agent working with the market by this time.  This site had shade, more visibility and vendors could stay with their truck.  Vendors who sold at this market included Christine Almond along with her son Ronnie Almond, Harvey Cline and J.Roy Little.  I suspect Sam Livengood and Sonny Yates also sold at this market.  Sam was no longer selling by 1986 and Sonny was selling most of his production from home although he did send a truck to Winecoff once or twice. 

 The Market on Cabarrus Ave.

In 1984 the market moved to Winecoff School Road.  Craig Leonard was hired by the county a a new Agriculture Extension Agent.  Money for his position came from requests and support from people associated with the Farmers Market.  His primary job was to work on the farmers market.  22 or 23 acres were purchased at Winecoff from Mr. Vic Goodman and an adjacent site was put under an option to purchase that was maintained for several years but never exercised.  The money to purchase the land came from the NC General Assembly.  This move was generally opposed by neighbors in the Winecoff School area.  Glenn White led the opposition.  One lady who lived across the street (Food Lion was eventurally built on her property) died from a heart attack that was generally attributed to stress from this zoning fight.

Ronnie Almond 1987 

Right before I was hired in October in 1986 there was some type of disagreement over the future of the market.  Rod Hanson was hired as a full time manager.  However it was obvious that this was going to rapidly deplete all farmers' market funds.  The board fired Rod Hanson then hired Brady Black as part time market manager.  Brady was also elected Farmers Market Board president.  Bill McCrary was vice president and Trilby Wall was site committee chair.

 Major vendors by this time included J.Roy Little, Roy Williams, Pauline Reynolds, Christine and Ronnie Almond, Harvey Cline and Archie Smith.  A typical Saturday during mid season would have 10 to 12 vendors.

 I visited the market some in the fall of 1986.  The only vivid memory is how the tarps were almost totally torn up.  I probably remembered that due to a rainy Saturday.  The first task I remember doing with the market was supervising Community Servide Workers in the spring of 1987 on an all day workday to spruce up the market for opening day.  At that time opening day was decided each year, often at the last minute, and varied from the first Saturday in June to the third Saturday in June.  the shelters at that time were individual frames of heavy pipe covered by a tarp.  By the end of the season they were beat up by the wind with holes and long strings hanging out.  I designed a wire frame constructed from electric fence wire woven in two directions and supervised community service workers as they installed and tightened this wire to better support the tarps.

 Trilby Wall - Site Committee Chair 1986

A Market of Tarps 

In 1988 with a follow up grant from the NC Assembly we constructed the original market building consisting of 24 stalls and a porch area.  We filled the building the following year.

1988 Building 

In 1994 we constructed 6 additional stalls and bathrooms with a grant from the Cannon Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

1988 Entrance 

 One problem was that the market was never on solid financial footing.  One of the major things that needed to happen to get the market to a break even was to sell some of the excess land that was being taxed.  It took over 10 years to accomplish this.  Thankfully it occurred the year before property taxes skyrocketed.  So instead of taxes going over $6000, the property taxes actually dropped below $2000. 

Originally we opened on Saturday then eventually on Tuesday and in July we would open on Thursday.  Thursday markets never run more that 5 or 6 weeks and it was always a weak market.  About 2005 we determined to open at additional sites to see if that was more profitable.  The first additional site was Concord on Corban Ave. in the current jail construction parking lot.  This was set up a lunch time market and later moved to Cabarrus Ave and then to Market Street.

 The next location we opened was Harrisburg.  This opened as a Monday market.

 In 2006 an herb festival was held that increased market attendance.  This annual event will attract more than 8000 people and is an excellent start to the official season.  For several years, the farmers market also held a Christmas Show.  The current show held in the old Bank Building in Kannapolis is a spin off of the Christmas Show started by the farmers market.

 Eventually in 2009 the market held markets in Harrisburg, Concord, Research Campus, North East Medical Center, and Midland along with two markets at Winecoff School Road.  The NEMC market was not profitable for us and was abandoned before the end of the season.

 After Brady Black, the next market manager was Gail Austin.  Shelly Wellmon followed Gail.  Richard Rankin was market manager for 4 years.  Nancy Greene was manager for about 3 years.  Leigh Coulter was hired full time for about 3 months in 2008.  Lisa Wacheldorf was hired as full time manager in 2010 with money from a grant I wrote.

2010 will be noteworthy for at least two reasons.  Vendor membership went over 60 for the first time.  Plus, this is the first year that we will be open year around.

You

Ailene Williams-First Treasurer

Brady Black-Market Manager

Al Stanford-Extension Agent

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Cline

Vendors Circa 1984

Herman Barbee

Vendor

Hubert and Joyce Gee

Vendors

Archie and Clyde Faggart

Vendors

Archie Smith

Vendor

Bill McCrary (Far Right)

VP 1986

Hilda Goodnight Current Treasurer

Circa 1987

J.C. Teeter

Vendor

Earl Pethel

Vendor

Roy and Pauline Williams

Vendors

David Goforth

Extension Agent

Market Advisor

Vendor

Circa 1988