NORWAY — It’s hard not to imagine that when Darcy Winslow holds aloft a daisy-yellow-colored one-pound block of butter churned from the milk of one of her cows, she sees a bar of gold.

The butter, made from raw milk at Winslow’s High View farm in Harrison, is part of the bounty of local produce, meats, baked goods and vegetables found at the Norway Farmers’ Market.

The butter takes five to six gallons of milk to produce but Winslow, who is in her first year at the market, swears by its rich, unique flavor.

It is goods like these that farmers hope will entice people to stop by the market’s new downtown location at Village Square at Main and Deering streets.

“It gives us more visibility and it’s a warmer feel here, more organic. I love it,” organizer Tiffany Krastins said.

The market had been set up in the parking lot behind the Fair Share Market on Main Street for over a decade. Surrounded by buildings, the site was blocked from the view of cars — and the tourists driving them.

Easily accessible from the street, the move to Village Square has worked well, Krastins said, and traffic seems to be up.

Edith Cherkis, the baker behind Albany Township’s Angry Mountain Farm, said it’s still too early to tell if the move has paid off as market season has just begun.

According to Krastins, newcomers are broadening the market’s appeal as a versatile alternative to the supermarket.

Steve Gravel of the startup Muffin Tin’s Bakery is taking his cookies, whoopie pies and several flavors of muffins from his kitchen in West Paris to the market.

Gravel, who trained at the New Hampshire Culinary Institute, does not have a storefront but sells food at popular venues. He said joining the market was a good opportunity to make his bakery a household name.

“Being a mobile vendor is an advantage. People don’t always eat sweet things everyday,” Gravel said. “It’s going fairly well. It’s been quite the journey.” 

Market organizers have been known to adopt changes. For the first time last year, the market started accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, allowing low-income families receiving federal aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to make purchases.

The arrangement puts local produce on their tables and money in the market’s coffers. Through a federal grant program, the market receives $5 for every $10 spent in EBT transactions. 

“We’re going to help people benefit who need it, it’s that simple,” Krastins said.

Pedaling wool into yarn on a wooden spindle fed from a bag of creme-colored sheep’s wool, Winslow said the market season has been slow, but should take off soon.

“This area is going to be popular once the bounty starts coming in,” she said.

The Norway Farmers’ Market is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

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