The Seymour Area Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Walnut Street Parking Lot located south of the railroad tracks near the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour. The market also is open from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays.

Here’s a look at two of the vendors and their products.

Name of vendor who sells at the Seymour market: Chris Gilbert

Name of your farm: Christopher Farms

Number of years you have sold at the Seymour Area Farmers Market: One. This is my first year selling at the market.

What items do you sell at the farmers market?

I’ve sold radishes and green onions and will have spaghetti squash later in the season. This year, I’ve started small, but next year, I plan to expand on the variety of vegetables for sale and possibly offer some craft items, like birdhouses, bat boxes and dried gourds.

Where is your farm located?

Just up the road in Freetown is what I like to say when people ask where my farm is at. Freetown is in northwest Jackson County near the Hoosier National Forest.

How long have you been farming?

While I’ve grown vegetables and kept bees for several years, this is my second year doing so as an actual farm and my first year selling at the farmers market.

Do you farm full time or is this a side business or hobby for you?

Right now, farming is a cross between a side business and a hobby. In the future, as my farm grows, I hope to transition to farming full time.

What made you want to start your farm?

Farming is a great interaction with Mother Nature. I think that’s what drew me in. It’s incredible that I can take a handful of seeds and turn them into something amazing and then get to share those amazing things with others. With farming you also get to directly experience and interact with science, something I’ve always been interested in. On a daily basis, I’m thinking about, reading up on or changing something that has to do with or is based on biology, meteorology, chemistry, entomology or geology, just to name a few.

What about the market makes it beneficial to you as a farmer?

There are two great benefits to the farmers market. First, being able to talk to all the great folks that come to the market to buy all of the great products. I get to hear what they like, talk to them about what they want and hear the stories they have to tell. It’s very rewarding to experience the direct to consumer environment the market has to offer. Second, interacting and networking with the other producers at the market. All of the producers are more than willing to share their best practices. We compare how things are growing during the season, and we’re always there to support each other.

What do you enjoy most about selling your goods locally?

Selling locally allows me to connect directly with consumers. I get to hear what they think, understand what their needs are and make adjustments to my growing to specifically address those local needs.

Why do you think folks should shop the market?

When folks buy at the market, they are keeping dollars and food close to home, supporting their fellow Hoosiers and interacting directly with the growers and makers of products they are consuming. They are also supporting job creation and building sustainable communities while preserving Indiana’s agricultural heritage.

Name of vendor who sells at the Seymour market: Nev Cockerham

Name of your business: Flippin’ Slimes

Number of years you have sold at the Seymour Area Farmers Market: This is my first year.

What items do you sell at the farmers market?

I sell homemade, borax-free slime.

How did you come up with the name Flippin’ Slimes?

I wanted to come up with a name for my business that combined two of my favorite hobbies, gymnastics and slime.

How long have you been making the items that you sell?

I started making slime for fun three years ago. My mom and dad thought it was a phase, but I now have my own slime station equipped with a Kitchen Aid mixer. I can now make bigger batches of slime with this mixer.

How did you get into making slime?

I started by watching YouTube videos, then started making my own slime. I went to a Slime Bash in Chicago and started selling at the farmers market.

What about the market makes it beneficial to you?

It is a way to advertise my slime. There are quite a few kids that come through the market with their parents. I have customers that come back week after week to see what new products I have. It is a lot of work prepping and preparing for the market each week. I have learned some time management skills. There have been multiple times when I can’t go hang out with my friends because I have to work.

What do you enjoy most about selling at the market?

I enjoy teaching people about slime, doing demonstrations, making new friends and hanging out with my mom.

Why do you think folks should shop the market?

It’s a one-stop shop to get your produce, ice cream, cookies and slime, of course. The watermelon is really good, too. Support your local vendors. This Saturday will be Nev’s last day at the market due to school and sporting activities. Come see her for her famous Cloud Slime. You will find a clearance blowout with slimes ranging from $3 to $6. You can purchase slime during her offseason via her Instagram page @flippin_slimes or email at [email protected].