By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

Under a cloudless sky, with a gentle breeze and folk music melodies drifting through the air, the Weare Farmers Market enjoyed a solid opening for its third year on Friday, June 30.

“This has been a wonderful start,” said Jenny Chartier, marketing manager for the farmer’s market. Chartier said she started the endeavor with a handful of vendors as a low-cost means of marketing their products.

As owner of Abigail’s Bakery of New Boston, Chartier said she does a brisk business selling the bakery’s organic breads at the farmer’s market. She said establishing the market itself required a small amount of paperwork, mostly involving liability insurance and securing the market’s nonprofit status with the state.

“The town’s been very supportive of us, and it’s great to see the townspeople are glad to have us back,” Chartier said, as she and five other vendors took orders in the area of the town gazebo.

Open Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the Weare Farmers Market may also have time on its side, Chartier said. While most farmers markets have a weekly date of Saturday mornings, Chartier said the Friday afternoon time slot may be ideal for catching commuters ending their work week with a drive home along North Stark Highway.

“There’s not too many farmers markets around on Friday, which gives us the advantage of being different,” Chartier said.

Other vendors at the market agreed they enjoyed the time and location, and all commented on the outstanding weather conditions.

“It’s a perfect day today, and I’ve had steady business all afternoon,” said Pam Milioto of Dunbarton, now in her second year at the farmer’s market. She said she enjoyed a regular stream of new and repeat customers throughout the afternoon. Goods sold at her stand included homemade goats’ milk soap, hand lotion, dog biscuits, and handmade pot holders and shawls.

“I enjoy meeting the new customers and seeing the regulars,” said Milioto. Most of the repeat customers return for soap and lip balm, while the dog biscuits have proven the most popular item among all customers, she said.

Jim Ramanek and Anne Nason tended a stand for Warner River Organics of Webster also returned for a second year of selling vegetables, fruits, plants and produce.

“This is a really good market,” said Ramanek, noting Warner River also sells at farmers markets in Henniker and Contoocook.

After selling some vegetables to a passing customer, Ramanek noted one universal business rule common to all farmer’s markets:

“If you’ve got tomatoes, people are going to buy from you,” he said.

Kristen Greaney, owner of Greaney’s Fruits and Vegetables in Weare, said she also enjoyed a brisk business selling strawberries, cherries, croutons and muffins from the stand she tended with her fiancé, Roland Spencer.

She also said she expects the ice cream truck, run by her daughter Samantha, to attract steady customers.

“It’s good so far. A lot of people have come by,” Greaney said, as customers stopped both at her farm stand and the ice cream truck.

It was Greaney’s first year at the Weare Farmers Market.

Along with the pleasant weather, vendors said they enjoyed the music provided by the folk duo Mike and Mike of Strafford.

That combo features violinist Heather Mike and guitarist Mike Morris harmonizing on a style Morris calls “High Octane Americana.”

Morris said farmer’s markets are one of the group’s favorite gigs to play.

“We love farmer’s markets,” Morris said. “There should be fresh produce and music for everyone, all the time.”