Port Royal Market Finds: Winter Edition

The Port Royal Farmer’s Market, situated perfectly in the Naval Heritage Park right along Ribaut Road, is a paradise of sorts for lovers of our local markets.

Nursery plant, seafood and produce vendors line the cement walkway smiling at potential customers from a variety of backgrounds and age groups. Child strollers are abundantly present showing that it’s clearly a family friendly place. The market is fairly big on size, and that means it’s big on quantity of products offered – and it’s certainly big on personality.

On average around 30 vendors show up with their best, every Saturday.

Susan Brant from Brant Family Farms outside of Varnville, SC is a regular vendor.  Brant mainly sells tomatoes and blueberries, but sometimes has other produce depending on the season.  She told us that her produce is “certified naturally grown, and the farm is also currently growing organically but is not yet certified as organic growers due to the certification cost”.  We found that to also be the case for other venders at the market.  Brant said she comes to the Port Royal Farmer’s Market because it has a lot of traffic and their farm “does well”.

“I have a lot of regular customers that come because they know we’re here,” Brant said.

Brant is right, the market has a lot of traffic. Especially at 9am which is it’s busiest time. Attendee Barbara Hall said she lives in Port Royal and comes to almost every week to buy her fruits and vegetables.

“Most of it is locally grown or from the next county over. You’re buying right from the source,” Hall said.

The market accepts EBT, debit and credit cards as forms of payment. Market hours during the winter months are Saturday 9am – 12pm.

What you can find this Saturday at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market:

• squash
• root vegetables: radishes, turnips, rutabaga
• collard greens
• mustard greens
• broccoli
• assorted varieties of lettuce
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• fresh made breads
• eggs
• meats: sausages, pork, poultry & grass fed beef
• cheeses
• pastas
• jam
• boiled peanuts
• popcorn
• local honey
• plants
• seafood: shrimp, oysters and clams
• ready-made meals
• hot coffee
• pastries
• pecan pies
• fresh cut flowers

…and lots of smiling faces.

eatstayplaybeaufort.com is a strong supporter of our local farmers, growers and fishermen. We ask that you buy local whenever possible and support our local farmers markets and area farm and seafood stands. Farm-to-table…nothing’s fresher, and nothing tastes better.