Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims is interested in gauging the public’s interest in the city of Clanton by beginning a farmer’s market a few days a week in Clanton Corner Park in downtown.

Mims and the city want to put a farmer’s market in the park two days per week and want to get feedback from the citizens of Clanton and Chilton County about how long the market will stay open the two days, which two days of the week would be best and other concerns.

Mims said when he was working in Montevallo previously they held small farmer’s markets as well that had great success, but were only open in the afternoon for a few hours. Mims, if the city decides to start it, wants their market to be open longer than that each day.

“I do not care if they did it all day,” Mims said. “Anyone can come up here to sell some produce.”

Mims said the farmer’s market will be strictly produce, so only fruits and vegetables. It will be set up so that anyone who has produce they would like to sell, or leftover produce from personal gardens, can be brought to Corner Park to set up. Tables and parking spots to unload trucks will both be provided.

The city of Clanton and Mims said the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs director Kenneth Boswell mentioned the possibilities the city could have by just holding the farmer’s market twice a week. Boswell said that ADECA can get the city a grant to build a roof over the Clanton Corner Park pavilion to have a full-time stage and speaker set up. All the city would have to do is hold a farmer’s market twice per week.

“Kenneth knows what it is like to be a mayor, and he said he enjoys traveling around the state now and helping cities like ours,” Mims said.

Any feedback can be taken at Clanton City Hall at 505 2nd Avenue North, Clanton, or by calling city hall at 205-755-6840. Feedback can also be given on the Clanton Municipal Government Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ClantonMunicipal.