We at RIDE Solutions often promote bicycling and walking as means of mobility. If you live in or around several towns or cities in the West Piedmont Region, you may be able to walk or bike to a great location to purchase locally-produced foods – your local farmers’ market. This blog elaborates on that.
Localities in the Region which are served by farmers’ markets include the cities of Danville and Martinsville, and the towns of Rocky Mount and Stuart. And don’t forget that a walking or biking trip to your local farmers’ market counts as a trip which can be logged into your RIDE Solutions app to earn points toward great shopping, dining, activities, or services rewards, or an opportunity to enter a raffle. Not to mention, these trips are environmentally-friendly, as walking and bicycling generate no emissions or greenhouse gases, and are completely free! Other benefits of walking and biking are that you’ll be saving money and wear-and-tear on your vehicle by not driving, and these activities will help to keep you in shape and healthy as well!
At your local farmers’ market, you’ll be able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, crafts, and even seafood! Not only will you reap the benefits of fresh, locally-produced foods, but by buying some of your foods at your local farmers’ market, you’ll be supporting local producers, and keeping your money in the Region.
Local farmers’ markets and their days/hours of operation include the following:
- Danville Farmers’ Market
- Open from 7:30 a.m. until 12 noon, from May – October. Additionally, in July and August, the market is open from 1 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.
- Ways to get there: Located at the Crossing at the Dan in Danville’s River District, this area is very walkable. In addition, it has excellent access via the Danville Riverwalk Trail, by which it is linked by a bike/pedestrian bridge spanning the Dan River. For residents and visitors alike, Tandem Mobility operates a bike share system in and around Danville’s River District, by which the Farmers’ Market can be accessed.
- More information about the Danville Farmers’ Market can be found at https://www.danvilleva.gov/2197/Danville-Farmers-Market.
Farmers’ market tents set up outside the Danville Community Market.
- Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market
- Open on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. from April – November, and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. from July – September.
- Ways to get there: Located on the western side of uptown Martinsville, this area is very walkable, and is very accessible from surrounding neighborhoods such as those located along Fayette Street, Starling Avenue, and other adjacent areas. With its low traffic volumes and 25 MPH posted speed limit, uptown Martinsville is also very bikeable and accessible by bicycle.
- Items sold at the Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market include eggs, coffee, meat, crafts, produce, honey, and greenhouse items such as cut flowers. More information about the Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market can be found at http://martinsvilleuptown.com/farmers-market.cfm.
Items being sold at the Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market.
- Rocky Mount Farmers’ Market
- Open year-round, although Saturday is typically the busiest day, according to the market’s website.
- Ways to get there: Downtown Rocky Mount, where the farmers’ market is located, is very walkable and is very accessible from surrounding neighborhoods. Though the area tends to be hilly, the farmers’ market can be accessed by bicycle as well.
- Items sold at the farmers’ market include produce, crafts, canned goods, fruits and jams, meats, soap and lotion made from goats, eggs, quail eggs and quail, and other items. More information about the Rocky Mount Farmers’ Market can be found at https://www.rockymountva.org/farmers–market.
Rocky Mount Farmers’ Market.
- Stuart Farmers’ Market
- Open Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. from May – November.
- Ways to get there: Downtown Stuart is very walkable and can be accessed from most adjacent neighborhoods. The location can also be accessed by bicycle, and the Mayo River Rail Trail is a great alternative to Commerce Street, if approaching from the east. More information can be found at https://townofstuartva.com/farmers-market/ or at the farmers’ market’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/StuartFarmersMarketVA/.
An excellent resource to learn about locally-produced foods in the West Piedmont Region West Piedmont’s Local Food Guide, which provides a great deal of information about local producers and the foods and other items they produce. The guide is available at https://westpiedmontpdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Local-Foods-Guide.pdf, while the GIS (mapping) component can be found at https://wppdc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/minimalist/index.html?appid=6051f22327a443efa9da6f53e6e5caa7&locale=en-us¢er=-79.9025,36.9921&level=9.
If you commute or accomplish some of your other essential trips by walking or by bicycle, don’t forget that you will earn points toward great rewards simply by logging these trips into the RIDE Solutions app, available for FREE at ridesolutions.org!
