Farmers Markets and Produce Stands in Delaware

A Fruitful Business: Farmers markets are cropping up all over. Here’s a sampling that’s ripe for the pickin’.

by Pam George Published May 11, 2012 at 10:34 AM

Drivers who pass by the red barn at the corner of Cave Neck Road and Del. 1 in Milton have probably noticed an increase in activity over the past few summers. Wally and Dawn Goff, who purchased the farm in 2009, keep adding to what’s now known as Dawn’s Country Market.

Children come to feed the chickens, pet Chunk-Chunk the cow and cuddle a kitten. Adults come for the produce. “We grow most of what we sell: heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes and onions,” says Wally Goff, naming just a few of the farm’s offerings. “I don’t claim to be the best, but I certainly try.”

Dawn’s Country Market is one of the many places in the Delaware area that offer fresh produce. Indeed, 12 new farmers markets opened this spring, boosting the total to 27. A bevy of farm stands and year-round operations also promote produce.

The number of small stands, markets and farmers markets is staggering. Here’s just a sampling of where you can find the goods at seasonal spots, farmers markets and year-round businesses.

Tips: Before packing up the car for a you-pick excursion, call first to make sure there’s enough fruit to pick and that the farm is open. Farm stands open and close earlier in the season, depending on the weather, and hours vary.