Christina Dubas of Sola Bread Co. features one of the two items she had left.

Vendors at the Rose City Farmers Market had little worry about the overcast weather Saturday morning, to the point where several sold out of their products within the first two hours of opening.

“This is such a great place for people to come and shop locally,” said Hillary Coppock, owner of Delightful Food Company. “We see a lot of our regulars, and I love how supportive the East Texas community is.”

With a dozen vendors providing locally grown fruits and vegetables, handmade jewelry and baked goods, local patrons had plenty to view.

“Our mission is to give the community better access to fresh, locally grown food,” said Becca Wilderness, marketing director for Rose City Farmers Market.

A project of the Farm and Food Coalition, all vendors must come from within 75 miles of Tyler, and produce the products they sell.

“The vendors really appreciate the value of the community and the integrity that goes into inspecting every farmer before selling.”

Opened from April to November, they also hope to promote eating and buying local food as a means to maintain the health of the environment, the community and the economy.

“The market provides a place for smaller farmers and businesses to connect to local consumers to grow their businesses,” she said. “There is no reselling at our market.”

Through an advisory committee, Rose City Farmers Market sifts through applications and then inspect to make sure the potential vendors are selling what they’re selling.

“We don’t require anyone to be ‘organically certified’, we find that it really limits our vendors,” Wilderness said.

The family and dog-friendly market moved to downtown 2018 after having spent several years in south Tyler.

“The community here is supportive, especially with each other,” Wilderness said. “They’re really happy to have like minded people.”

Kris Alexander has been thriving with their homegrown commodities for 25 years.

“It started with a houseplant, then I started to grow veggies and now I have berries and a lot of other fruits and herbs,” they said. “I do prefer the medicinal stuff — like garlic, kale — the kind that can help with your health.”

According to Alexander, you have to love to garden because it’s hard work.

“But I can’t take all the credit… Mother Nature does most of the work,” they said. “We just help her along.”