Farmers' market to open in Norway Grange

The market will be open on Whitman Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday through December.

"We'll have a different set of vendors," said Pat Verrill of Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris, who helped organize the popular Norway farmers' market that operates each Thursday in the municipal parking lot behind the Fare Share on Main Street.

With cold weather bringing the Norway farmers' market to a close soon, Verrill said Norway Downtown agreed to support the indoor effort with a donation of $1,000 to the Norway Grange, which is located behind where the Norway farmers' market is held.

"The money will be put toward the paint fund," said Norway Downtown President Andrea Burns of the funds necessary to pay for the recent exterior painting of the building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although the Grange has raised more than $7,000, and received a $10,000 loan from the state Grange, it still needs another $10,000 to pay off the job that was recently completed by the Phil Smith Painting Co. in Oxford.

Verrill and Burns said Norway Downtown felt the Norway farmers' market pulled in additional business to the downtown area on Thursdays and hopes to continue that on Saturdays.

Ethel Lacourse of the Norway Grange said the Grange now rents the upstairs hall to the Oxford Hills Performing Arts Association. The group gives a portion of their ticket sales for productions to the Grange to help pay for heat, electricity and water.

Verrill said there will be a number of vendors who have not participated in the Norway farmers' market. There will be meat and poultry, pork vendors and possibly a milk producer along with woodworkers and produce such as apples and potatoes and lots more, she said. "It will be a mix of people," she said.

A number of the vendors from Norway farmers' market will also participate in the market.

Shirley Damm of Hungry Hollow Country Store on Route 26 in West Paris said plans are to have about 25 tables in the Grange and many of the vendors from the summer's market are expected to continue at the Grange.

Damm said the summer market was successful because of the many people who came week after week.

"We're very appreciative," she said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com