Angelina County Farmers Market to stay open 12 months a year

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - When Lynn and Tommy Bryan took over the Angelina County Farmers Market five years ago, it was closed for seven months out of the year. During their tenure as owners, they’ve listened to their vendors and the community and have decided the market isn’t just for spring and summer anymore.

However, planning to stay open for all 12 months of the year has brought some extra challenges.

“Most of the time, they’re not open because of the weather,” Lynn said. “Weather is some of our biggest competition out here.”

Due to weather like the freeze that hit Texas just a few weeks ago, farmers have had to change their plans during the winter months to provide fresh produce to the market for January and February.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of money,” Lynn said. “A lot of people don’t realize how hard it is to have a garden in Deep East Texas due to the weather.”

The change has brought in more vendors, with farmers from Hemphill making the trek to set up shop at the market for the first time, like Boyd Bishop.

“Having the extra two months is a big boost for a lot of people,” Bishop said, “including ourselves.”

One of the new businesses, Chad Fischer’s hobby shop, the Chadderbox, specializes in Pokemon cards and other collectibles. He had his grand opening this Saturday. It’s something he wouldn’t have been able to do if the market was only open for a few months.

“Not having a physical store for half the year would be difficult,” Fischer said.

The extra days make it easier for all the vendors to run their businesses.

“It means a lot,” Bishop said. “It’s a source of income for not just us but a lot of the vendors. Some vendors do it for fun, some depend on it for income.”

The Angelina County Farmers Market is located at 2107 South Medford Drive in Lufkin and is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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