Ribbon cutting held for East Arcadia Farmer’s Market

EAST ARCADIA, NC (WWAY) — Saturday many people attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for a farmer’s market and small business center in East Arcadia. 

USDA Rural Development put a $370,000 grant into the facility to make the old fire station into a farmer’s market. 

The hope is to help farmers by selling local produce to the community with 8 to 12 vendors in the facility.  

State director for USDA Rural Development Robert Hosford attended the ribbon cutting. 

He said the facility could be multi-purpose. 

“It certainly could be used as an event center as well. Whether it be an education center or someone wants to have a high school graduation party that will be open for the community to use. But really, initially we just want to see if we can get some of the local produce truck farmers in here to sell local products to local consumers,” Hosford said. 

Hosford adds the cinder-block building is in great shape and he says it is important to use older buildings in good shape to generate business for rural North Carolina.