TIFTON—From goat’s milk soap to free-range eggs, the Wiregrass Farmers Market will have a wide variety of items available from local farmers when it opens for its 2017 season at 9 a.m. on April 8 behind the Country Store at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

As an extra added attraction, all visitors to the Market on that day will receive a coupon redeemable at the Country Store for reduced admission to the annual Folklife Festival, which will be in full swing at the Museum all day long on April 8.

Founded in 2011 by a group of community volunteers committed to a local and sustainable lifestyle, the Wiregrass Farmers Market is unique in Tift County for its offerings of carefully curated clean, locally-grown food, handmade natural crafts, close relationships between local farmers and customers, and a robust educational program.

For the 2017 season, customers can expect to find their favorite local farmers offering the freshest and cleanest local produce, cheese, cold-pressed non-GMO oils, grass-fed meats, and free-range eggs, all grown with care by the very farmers who are selling them.

Artisanal baked goods made with whole wheat freshly ground by the vendor the night before the Market’s opening will also be available. Other items include jams and jellies, handcrafted soaps and personal care items. Visitors will also find locally grown meats, fiber goods, items for the home, and jewelry, all hand-made by the vendors who sell them.

Market customers enjoy free nature-based children’s activities weekly, a community compost bin, a thriving demonstration garden, and frequent visits by farm animals. A Market Co-op offers market customers monthly classes on everything from home canning to rain barrels to essential oils.

Seasonal events such as the Market Mixer and the annual Farm to Table dinner add to the shopping experience at the Wiregrass Farmers Market. Dates for these events will be announced later in the Market season.

A new monthly feature this season will be a Taste of the Market table which offers Market goers a chance to sample various Market products offered by the farmers at their tables, and recipes and ideas to inspire the optimal use of all the goodies that visitors purchased that day.

There is no admission charge for the Wiregrass Farmers Market, which is located under the Pole Barn behind the Country Store at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture. Market goers can park in the Country Store lot on Whiddon Mill Road, which allows easy access to the Market.

The 2017 season dates are April 8-November 19, with a summer break for the months of August and September. A Holiday Market delights shoppers each year in early December.

For information on the Wiregrass Farmers Market, interested local farmers can contact Market Manager Susan Schwartz at scscarrot@hotmail.com or GMA Market Liaison Polly Huff at phuff@abac.edu. More Market information can be found on the website, www.wiregrassmarket.org and on Facebook/wiregrassfarmersmarket.