Upon entering Bridgeport Farmers Market’s last winter market of the season, shoppers will a welcoming site – plenty of green.

 

In addition to fingerling potatoes, tomato plants and an array of farm-raised eggs, beef, pork, chicken and lamb, a variety of early spring vegetables will be available for purchase. Included, said BFM President Debbie Workman, will be kale, spinach, spring lettuce and herbs.

 

Sunday’s market event will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 12 inside Bridgeport Conference Center. The market’s resident artisan, Rus Reppert, will provide live guitar and vocal talents and, as always, the staff of Bridgeport Conference Center will prepare a local foods brunch, for which reservations are suggested.

 

In addition to those staple elements of the market, a couple of brand new ones will be launched at Sunday’s market.

 

“Sunday will mark the launch of the West Virginia Physical Activity Network, a non-profit which was just formed to promote people to get more physically active in our state,” Workman said.

 

In a nutshell, the new network was born out of the “Try This” conference and an effort to promote a healthier West Virginia said Coordinator Amanda Workman Yager.

 

“’Try This’ was started by Kate Long, who talks about the two different parts of the equation – healthy foods and physical activity,” she said. “There were lots of things going on with healthy eating, but the physical activity side was kind of empty.”

 

At the present time, the network is in the process of gathering information about already established physical activity programs within the state and identifying those who would like to be part of the network, Yager said. By the fall season, it is hoped that an all-inclusive plan will be developed and shared throughout the state. West Virginia and Texas are the only states which have a statewide plan in place to promote overall physical fitness, she said.

 

The launch of the network will feature all-day hula hooping and a 12:15 p.m. yoga class, taught by certified instructor, Christina Hunt. There is no registration necessary to take part in the activities, which hopefully will take place outdoors, Yager said.

 

Yager and Hunt will be on hand throughout the duration of Sunday’s market and available to network with individuals who would like to be part of – or simply be kept aware of findings of – the West Virginia Physical Activity Network.

 

Sunday’s market will also provide opportunity for residents to purchase tickets for the first BFM Community Dinner of the year, to take place April 28 at Bridgeport Conference Center. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children age 12 and under. In addition to a meal prepared with locally-raised food products, the community dinner will feature a special announcement, Workman said.

 

“We’ll be announcing our new children’s activity for summer,” she said. “We’ve been wanting for years – and have, on and off – hosted children’s activities at the market and it has been hard to do so consistently. But we have come up with something.”

 

The debut of the spring/summer season is May 17. That market will be held outdoors at the marketplace at Charles Pointe. Through the spring, summer and fall months, the market will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

 

During the month of May, there will be even more greens and other produce available.

 

In addition kale, spinach, Swiss chard, asparagus and spring onions, there will likely be strawberries, Workman said.

 

There are also new vendors on bard for 2015. New lunch vendors include West Virginia Double OO Bagel Company and Gourmet Hotdogs. The latter business is based in Upshur County and offers seven different grilled hotdog varieties. A portion of Gourmet Hotdog’s proceeds benefit the non-profit, Inspiring West Virginia. Owned and operated by Emily Smith Zimmerman, Double OO Bagel Company operates out of Morgantown and features sandwiches made with homemade bagels and fresh market products.

 

Among other vendors/farmers on board for 2015 are a coffee roaster and a rabbitry, the latter business under the operation of Morgantown teenager Cody Fowler.

 

“He’s all USDA approved and the real deal,” Workman said. “He not only raises rabbits and sells meat, but he’s quite the scientist and has developed a method of making all-natural fertilizer for vegetable and flower gardens from the rabbit droppings.”

 

The market has certainly expanded again for 2015, said Workman, who encourages patrons to take advantage of the last winter event and mark their calendars for the debut of the spring season. 

 

Editor's Note: Pictured is Jennings Brae Bank Farms, a BFM vendor which offers produce and farm-raised meats.