Farmers market returns to the Back Mountain

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DALLAS TWP. — The Back Mountain Memorial Library Farmers Market returned to the Dallas High School campus on Saturday morning.

The market will run every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Oct. 26.

“[The library] needed funds, and somebody brought up the idea of having a farmers’ market,” Back Mountain Memorial Library board member Gary Dymond said of the market’s origins. “And that’s how this all got started.”

Featuring a broad selection of produce, meat and other food products, the Back Mountain Memorial Library Farmers Market first popped up at the library over 15 years ago. The event became too large, resulting in its move to the spacious parking lot outside of Mountaineer Stadium.

“I started coming [to the farmers’ market] when it was still over at the library,” said Michael Bonczar, the owner of vendor Beta Bread Bakery, before adding that the farmers’ market predates his involvement. “It was going on before my time.”

These days, Dymond and fellow library board member Bill Peiffer take the lead on organizing the farmers’ market, which features offerings from Back Mountain staples like Brace’s Orchard and Dymonds Farm Market.

According to Peiffer, those businesses have added another level of legitimacy to the farmers’ market from the perspective of both the public and other businesses.

“They’re clearly draws. They’ve been in the Back Mountain for ages. They’re an anchor,” said Peiffer. “They not only draw customers, but I think they help draw new vendors in.”

Besides vendors from the immediate area, other businesses from across the region have a presence at the Back Mountain Memorial Library Farmers Market.

The selection of vendors is a fluid process, according to Gary Dymond. Some years, the organizers are reaching out to local businesses who might want to be involved. At other times, the businesses are the ones reaching out to him.

“It changes every year,” said Dymond. “We have our core group, and then we get add-ons.”

The type of vendors who have wanted to be involved in the farmers’ market has also shifted in the past few years.

“We’ve had a lot of meat vendors want to be here lately,” Dymond said.

As the Saturdays go on, and summer turns into fall, certain foods will go out of season, and the vendors can switch up their strategy. Still, Peiffer said that the vendors do well all the way up until the last Saturday.

“They do make money right until the end,” Peiffer said.

And from the consumer side, Dymond asserted that the farmers’ market adds a lot to the community.

“It’s a tradition. People look forward to it,” Dymond said. “It’s a great thing for the people around here.”