Fruits and vegetables are turning out to be one of the keys to Snellville’s rebranding as a place where people slow down and stay a while.
The Gwinnett city of about 20,000 is mostly defined not by farm-fresh local produce, but by the strip malls that line the humming Stone Mountain Freeway.
“The impression most people have had about Snellville over the years is that it’s a strip of 78 that’s just a long traffic snarl,” said Snellville Tourism and Trade Director Joe Burnett.
Just one year old, the Snellville Farmer's Market made up of carefully selected local growers has captivated the area, giving residents good reason to get out of bed early on Saturdays. Today marks the second season open.
“People have told us this is the best thing that’s ever happened to Snellville,” said Gretchen Schulz, who works with a committee of citizens and city council members on the vision of bringing in fresh local food to sell.
The farmer’s market was an ideal retirement project for Schulz, who worked as a registered dietitian on statewide school nutrition programs. Her belief that children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables they select themselves is put into practice every week at the market, where she says she and the committee have worked on developing a strong family-friendly vibe.
Organizers get to know their community by visiting each farm to ensure the growers bringing their products to the busy market at 2342 Oak Road every week are tending their crops honestly.
“It helps us get to know the farmers more personally,” Schulz said. “They could be larger farms or individuals. We have one gentleman from Guyana who grows crops native to the country. Even though he lives in a subdivision in Lithonia, he has a huge backyard garden that is so well tended, and the vegetables look so healthy.”
This year, the market has added a crafts section across the street. In its inaugural season last year, it became a gathering spot for friends and neighbors eager to have a there, there in Snellville.
The market is one of the tools the city hopes to weave into a town center redevelopment project that was recently unveiled. It calls for an expanded area and increased visibility for the market.
“The goal is to create a destination that draws young people and families back to the community,” said the city’s Economic Development Manager Eric Van Otteren of the plan to develop a downtown stop-off that includes walking and biking paths and an amphitheater near Hwy. 78 and Route 124. “One that builds on the swelling pride created by the highly successful Snellville Farmer’s Market and that celebrates the diversity of Snellville residents."
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