Farmer's Market & Cannery

So how can a little jar like this help preserve the heritage of Union County? Residents don't want to see their beautiful pristine land in Union County slowly turn into a bunch of housing developments. But the only way for many landowners to avoid selling out to developers is to farm their land. I've lived here my whole life farming you know growing up. That was the thing.

As way to survive a very important here in the mountains to give local farmers a place to sell their goods. Years ago community leaders decided to put together the original farmers market in Blairsville. It started in the courthouse parking lot and got the SPLOST money and got it moved got these buildings built. Having this incredible open-air marketplace facility is absolutely crucial for farmers and artisans.

The current Union County farmers market has grown into an incredible facility where everyone from farmers to artisans, beekeepers to bakers and potters to painters can offer their products to the thousands of shoppers who visit the market each week. It's given us a lot of exposure. Particularly during tourist months we can have as many as 45,000 people come here during the Saturday morning which we would never get on an individual basis back at the farm.

And to provide even more value to both buyers and sellers the county added a state-of-the-art cannery just behind the market. We'll have people come here to the market buy the product and then come sign up for an appointment on the Tuesday or Thursday to can it in the cannery. It costs you 40 cents a jar.

Growth is coming, but we want to keep the mountain traditions best we can. Canning and farming - that was why our great-great grandparents survived. We just don't want it to die out.