South Walton County has a new farmers market on 30A. Here are details on the Monday market

SOUTH WALTON — A new farmers market arrived in South Walton County this month, joining two other markets in the area on a new day of the week.

The Farmers Market at the Big Chill opened on May 2 under Emerald Coast Markets and Events as the newest farmers market in the 30A area. The market sits at 7000 E. County 30A in Santa Rosa Beach at the Big Chill venue, formerly known as The Hub. It is open on Mondays, year-round, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

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Emerald Coast Markets and Events owner Tara Foster opened the market along with the help of her friend, Ashley Silverman. The journey started during the pandemic: Foster and Silverman would spend their free time expanding and developing their business until they decided on a way to support small and local businesses — and that was to create a farmers market.  

Foster said the new market has a more quaint atmosphere compared to other farmers markets and is structured to where everything is handmade, homemade or locally sourced. The market's feedback has been positive since day one, Foster said, and depending on the market's success, there is a possibility the market will open on multiple days during the week. 

Foster also owns Reel 'em In Fresh Seafood and Gourmet, noting that she grew up on a shrimp boat in her hometown in Alabama, where she grew a passion for sourcing seafood. Her business sells a variety of fresh seafood, from crab cakes to red snapper.

"As a small business owner, we're just trying to grow our business and brand our names through these farmers markets," Foster said. "We wanted local vendors that resonate with the community, we love the tourist that comes through, but we wanted vendors that the locals would come and shop and appreciate."

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Meanwhile, Silverman owns Got Baked, which sells gluten-free, low carb and vegan baked goods items, including doughnuts, pretzels, muffins, pastries and cakes. Silverman, who has been baking for almost 10 years, said baking became a passion over time.

"I had developed a gluten allergy and realized that fun food for the gluten-free community is very small, so I learned a lot about the ingredients, and it's really enjoyable for me to make," Silverman said. "When people visit my booth, I want them to feel like they're walking into a traditional bakery."

Each week, the market welcomes new faces and already has had many repeat customers come through. In addition, it will begin donating to a different charity once a quarter.

Silverman said she believes they've selected the perfect day for people to visit because it's an additional option for farmers markets along 30A.

"Some people can't make it to the market over the weekends because of work, so a Monday market is very convenient for locals," Silverman said. "We also didn't want to compete with the other markets. So we took advantage of adding another day of the week for people to have a farmers market to visit."

With the market approaching its fourth week, Foster said it currently has more than 65 vendors on the waitlist. She plans to add more vendors soon and create a family-friendly environment with entertainment, live music and child-friendly activities.

"Our main goal is to provide something for everyone, and we want to incorporate that into the market," she said. "We also hope to bring business to the stores in the surrounding area, and especially to the Big Chill venue, because we're super grateful to have this location as our market."