Spring farmers markets sprout again at Dirtbag Ales and around Fayetteville

Dirtbag Farmers Market kicked off its seventh season in Hope Mills on March 26 with dozens of vendors and several food trucks alongside the brewery’s signature beers. 

On-and-off thunderstorms barely put a damper on the morning’s festivities, but around noon the event was rained out. 

Hundreds of attendees shopped for produce, meat, baked goods, plants, artisanal items and pet goods at the market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday through Nov. 19.  It will be closed for Easter Sunday.

Those who attended on opening day were met with flavors from around the world: Ouda’s Food offered hummus, baba ghanouj and tzatziki; Hawaiian Mommas Treats n’Sweets sold macarons and musubi, a snack of rice, grilled Spam and egg wrapped in seaweed; Bread & Sugar by Dali brought sourdough bread. 

Lion's Mane mushrooms

While The BBQ Lab food truck sold pulled pork sandwiches, one vendor offered a plant-based alternative — Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

A white, globe-shaped fungus with shaggy spines, Lion’s Mane mushrooms are popular among the vegan community for their ability to mimic crab meat or pork chops, The Fun Guy’s Fungis owners Matthew Bunting and Christopher Doggett said. 

Lion’s Mane mushrooms, and their dehydrated form taken as a supplement, are believed to improve neurogenesis, the brain’s way of forming new connections like thoughts, ideas and memories, Doggett said. 

There is research to back up his claim; a 2019 review in Current Developments in Nutrition suggests Lion’s Mane mushrooms have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning.  

Bunting and Doggett, who started the business in Fayetteville about a year ago, also offer several varieties of oyster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and kits to grow mushrooms at home. The business also supplies Prima Elements Holistic Wellness Center, Bunting said. Learn more at funguysfungis.com. 

Goods from local craftspeople

Alongside the farmers and growers were a number of local craftspeople. Among them was Fayetteville-based leather artisan Tony McAllister, who sells handmade belts, watchbands, bags, totes and wallets.  

McAllister, who works in the information technology industry by day, said he started working with leather in 2018. He was looking for a high-quality computer bag, which cost $1,200 to $1,500 at the time, he said, but decided he could make something just as good for a fraction of the cost. 

Since he made the first bag, he said, he’s been working to perfect his craft. Now, he offers his goods as an affordable alternative to designer bags that will withstand the test of time, he said.  

“This is going to last you, and it’s something that you can pass down for generations,” he said.  

Handbags start at $160, totes start at $170 and gentleman’s bags start at $350. Learn more at bluevellumleather.com.  

Looking to indulge on a budget? One vendor, whose bright pink booth is difficult to miss, offers handmade organic soaps for $8 apiece. 

Guilty Pleasures Organic Soap owner Norma Segui was busy on Sunday, both assisting customers and greeting friends who stopped by to wish her a happy birthday. She was with her grandchildren, 8-year-old twins Clara and Noah Quantock. 

Segui said she started making hydrating goat milk soaps to heal Clara’s eczema in 2015 and eventually the hobby turned into a business. Now, she has a full line of soaps sold in markets, spas, bakeries and online, she said, which are all made from her workshop in Hope Mills. 

Some target skin conditions like dryness or acne, some are shaped like dogs or cupcakes, while others are scented with cinnamon, grapefruit or honey and hibiscus. Learn more at guiltypleasuresorganicsoaps.net.  

Other local farmers markets

While Dirtbag Ales is the largest of the area’s farmers markets, it’s not the only place to buy local food and other goods. Here's a look at a few more to consider: 

• City Market at the Museum is held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday year-round on the Fayetteville History Museum grounds at 325 Franklin St. 
• The Downtown Market of Fayetteville is a year-round shop open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 325 Blount St. 
• Gillis Hill Road Produce, 2899 Gillis Hill Road, offers farm-fresh produce and local artisanal products. The store’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.   
• Pate’s Farm Market is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 6411 Raeford Road. The year-round produce market has a nursery, butcher shop, hot food bar, bakery and frozen food section. 
• T & T Farmers Market is open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily at 3755 Cumberland Road. The market offers fresh produce, nuts, honey and house-made jams, salsas and syrups. 

Reporter Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and business. She can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.