AMHERST – The Amherst Farmers Market is open for business.
“We have sausages, schnitzel, hotdogs and burgers,” said Billy-Jo Oulton-Hope, owner/operator of Billy-Jo’s.
Oulton-Hope has been serving food each Friday for five years at the Amherst Farmers Market, located at the Lions Club in Amherst.
The business was originally run by Oulton-Hope’s grandfather Clarence Arenburg. He passed away five years ago and Oulton-Hope took over. “Grampy sold sausages for at least 10 years, and I’ve had it for five years.”
Besides selling sausages, Oulton-Hope organizes the market, something she’s done for about four years.
She says the market is a great place to buy lunch, preserves, jams, pickled products, jewelry, knitted products, and “the summertime is a lot busier than the start of the season because the produce comes out that brings a lot of customers.”
The market has 30 to 35 vendors, many who have been there for up to 30 years and many who are just starting out. I’s the same with customers.
“We get a lot of regulars but we get a lot of new people as well.”
The market opens at 7:45 for staff, and 10 a.m. for customers.
“Customers start rolling in at about 9:30 a.m.,” said Oulton-Hope. “The coffee is on and people have their morning coffee and visit.”
The market is open every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., until Dec. 21, 2018.