Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Every Saturday on Marietta Square, something special happens. More than 60 vendors — local farmers, chefs, and small business owners — set up shop to offer some of the freshest produce, herbs, and locally made products in the state. Reporting from Marietta, Damon Jones takes us inside one of Georgia's most celebrated farmers markets and finds out why hundreds of locals make it a weekly ritual.
It started with a trip to New York's Green Market and a simple idea from marketing director Johnny Fulmer's wife: could they do something like this on Saturday mornings in Marietta? They started with eight vendors. Today, the market draws 65 to 70 vendors every week and has been named the Best Farmers Market in Georgia by multiple publications.
What keeps people coming back is the relationship. Vendors like John Gerald of Mama J's Produce explain that buying directly from a local farmer means knowing exactly how the food was grown — and getting it while it's genuinely fresh, often picked just the day before. Lynn Teddlie of Straight from the Backyard Farm says her produce is never refrigerated, always picked the day before market, and will last significantly longer than anything sitting on a grocery store shelf.
Registered Dietician Sherry Coleman Collins adds a public health dimension — with 80 percent of Americans not eating enough fruits and vegetables, having easy, affordable access to a wide variety of fresh produce in a community like Marietta makes a real difference.
For the farmers themselves, Saturday is the culmination of a full week of hard work in the field — and seeing the community show up to appreciate it makes every long day worth it.
Every Saturday on Marietta Square, something special happens. More than 60 vendors — local farmers, chefs, and small business owners — set up shop to offer some of the freshest produce, herbs, and locally made products in the state. Reporting from Marietta, Damon Jones takes us inside one of Georgia's most celebrated farmers markets and finds out why hundreds of locals make it a weekly ritual.
It started with a trip to New York's Green Market and a simple idea from marketing director Johnny Fulmer's wife: could they do something like this on Saturday mornings in Marietta? They started with eight vendors. Today, the market draws 65 to 70 vendors every week and has been named the Best Farmers Market in Georgia by multiple publications.
What keeps people coming back is the relationship. Vendors like John Gerald of Mama J's Produce explain that buying directly from a local farmer means knowing exactly how the food was grown — and getting it while it's genuinely fresh, often picked just the day before. Lynn Teddlie of Straight from the Backyard Farm says her produce is never refrigerated, always picked the day before market, and will last significantly longer than anything sitting on a grocery store shelf.
Registered Dietician Sherry Coleman Collins adds a public health dimension — with 80 percent of Americans not eating enough fruits and vegetables, having easy, affordable access to a wide variety of fresh produce in a community like Marietta makes a real difference.
For the farmers themselves, Saturday is the culmination of a full week of hard work in the field — and seeing the community show up to appreciate it makes every long day worth it.
