ANNA MARIA – Featuring 28 vendors, the new Anna Maria Community Farmers Market enjoyed a successful opening day at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Jan. 14.
Accompanied by sunshine and cool-to-moderate temperatures, the market offerings included produce, specialty mushrooms, steaks, poultry, sausage, pasta, fish dip, guacamole, baked goods, coffee, smoothies, nutritional juices, coconut water, licorice, clothing, essential oils, candles, apothecary items, massages, art and more.
The Jan. 21 market got rained out but the market is set to resume on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and continue every Tuesday, weather permitting, through May 27. The Center is located at 407 Magnolia Ave. in Anna Maria.
The Anna Maria Community Farmers Market being held on The Center’s outdoor athletic fields temporarily replaces the city-hosted seasonal farmers market held at City Pier Park since 2018. The park cannot currently accommodate a farmers market because the hurricane-displaced Anna Maria Post Office is operating a temporary office there.
Devinne “Dev” Whittaker and Ted Louloudes co-own the DBTB juice bar & bakery that operates inside The Center. Both were vendors at last year’s city-hosted market and Whittaker organized the new market because she didn’t want the season to pass without a farmers market in Anna Maria.
When visited at their DBTB juice bar & bakery booth at 12:30 p.m. on opening day. Whittaker said, “It’s a beautiful sunny day. We already sold out of our baked goods but we still have some juice and coffee left.”
Louloudes, a former Chiles Group baker, said their baked good offerings included sourdough breads, muffins, scones and cookies.
“We pride ourselves on using organic flour, produce and coffee and there’s no preservatives or seed oils in it,” Whittaker noted.
“Come out and support these local businesses. Everyone was impacted by these hurricanes and this is a beautiful way to get some life back out here. Our vendors are doing well today and it’s been busy. It was a group effort,” she added.
The city-hosted market focused primarily on food, beverages and other consumable products. The new market features many vendors displaced from the city market and several additional vendors selling items not previously sold at the city-hosted market.
Whittaker knows many of the additional vendors from other markets she participated in.
“We made it available to everybody,” she said.
T.J. Produce owner Tillman Thomas was an original vendor and annual participant at the city-hosted market that began in 2018.
“We’re glad to be back,” he said. “A lot of our old customers came by to visit and sales were good for the first day.”
Milagros Produce is another longtime city market vendor who can now be found at The Center on Tuesdays.
“It’s been really good day. She (Whittaker) did a great job,” Milagros’ vendor Yvette Nunez said.
Set up near the Hippie Comfort clothing and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch booths, former South Hampton, New York vendor Paulie Slovak made his Anna Maria market debut selling gourmet smoked fish dip at his Finn’s vending booth.
“I think the market was successful for its first day,” he said, noting he was having a great time.
At the nearby SeaMonkey Apparel booth, James Mains and Alexandria Lowe-Mains said they were donating 10% of their sales back to The Center as a small token of appreciation for all the nonprofit has done for the community.
“We’re excited to be here and we’re excited the market’s back in Anna Maria,” Lowe-Mains said.
BroccoBabe owner Lelia Tavrides, another previous city market vendor, was happy to again be selling her nutrient and antioxidant-rich broccoli sprouts and other microgreens.
“It’s wonderful to see the community back,” she said.
Making her first-ever market appearance, Island Aura owner Carly Burdick sold handmade body oils, essential oils, bath salts and more. Burdick also practices Reiki healing.
“I’ve never done a market before and this is a great way to get started. I love it,” she said.
At the neighboring WicksNWax booth, Patrick Allen sold custom and decorative candles he and his wife, Gina, made using 100% recycled glass.
“I’ve had a lot of customers today and we’re excited to watch this market grow,” he said.
Surfing Coconut owner Amanda Champ served fresh coconut water in a custom-stamped coconut shells she taps open for each order, accompanied by an edible coconut/vanilla straw.
“These are the sweetest coconuts in the world,” she said of the coconuts grown in Thailand.
“We travel all over keeping people hydrated,” she said of her many market and private event appearances.
Jay Horak, from the Circle 6 farm and ranch in Duette, said he’d already sold most of the filet mignon, New York Strip and ribeye steaks but he still had some organic eggs and beef tallow products left, including a beef tallow balm.
Currently displaced from her hurricane-damaged space above Ginny’s and Jane E’s café, Body & Sol Spa and Wellness owner Amanda Escobio provided massages and other services in the market’s fresh air setting.
“It’s been a nice day and I’ve talked to a lot of people who are still recovering,” Escobio said.
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