Staff Writer

 When Beth Hill heard about a new indoor farmers market in Biddeford, she jumped at the chance to give it a try.

Hill, who runs Redneck Ridge Farm in Arundel with her husband, Carl, recently got into the dairy farming business and is eager to experience selling at a farmers market. The market, the first of its kind in Biddeford, starts Saturday in a former downtown textile mill.

Deanna Weaver, owner of the Sweet Specialist in North Dam Mill, is organizing the market on the Pepperell Mill Campus. After hearing talk about creating a market for more than a year, she decided to step forward to become the “ringmaster,” she said.

“I’ve always felt that Biddeford should grab a winter market,” she said. “They have all this indoor space.”
  Weaver said many businesses benefit from having a place to sell their goods when outdoor markets are out of season.

“It was the summer markets that saved this business,” she said. 

There currently are winter farmers markets in York and north of Portland, Weaver said. The Biddeford market will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through April 30 at 100 Main St. Signs will point visitors to the market.

In addition to food, the market will feature two local artists and a musician each week.

After drafting vendor rules based on information from other markets and agricultural organizations, Weaver contacted people she met at other markets. Vendors are expected to sell beef, lamb, chicken, pork, baked goods, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, jams, relishes, blended teas and alpaca wool.

Hill, who began selling dairy products last month, will bring raw milk, butter and fudge to the market. Raw milk is not pasteurized and is richer than regular milk, she said.

“We wanted to try it to see if there is a market for raw milk,” she said. “I know a lot of people are interested.”

Hill will be joined at the market by her daughters, 11-year-old Emily and 10-year-old Lindsay. The family began raising Jersey cows after Hill’s son, C.J., decided to show them at fairs as part of a 4-H project. The family now has 35 cows.

 “It’s a 4-H project that’s gone crazy,” Hill said.

Hill shops at farmers markets in the summer and said she and her daughters are excited to be a part of the indoor market.

 “I’ll be interested to see what they’ll offer,” she said.

Tim Lambert of Biddeford also is interested to see what vendors will sell at the market. He has assisted Weaver with the market by setting up a Facebook page to provide updates and information. He said he feels strongly that there is a need for more markets to provide easier access to local food.

 “We really changed our diets in the past couple years, so we’re always looking for opportunities to buy more locally produced foods and products,” Lambert said. “It’s important to have options to buy food locally. We want other people to be able to experience this as well.”

Beyond access to local food, farmers markets are a community-building event, Lambert said.

 “It’s such a festive atmosphere,” he said. “This is another way to get people out and about. It also gives people a chance to get into the mill, look at it and come up with ideas for what to with it.”

Doug Sanford, owner of the Pepperell Mill Campus, is not charging the market for use of the building, so vendors will not be charged to participate the first year, Weaver said. She said there is practically “limitless” space for vendors and she hopes the market will grow to include more people.

Weaver and Lambert both said they hope the market will bring more people downtown.

 “I just think this project is going to help so many people,” Weaver said. “My hope for this market is the vendors become family. I hope to see that type of camaraderie.” 

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.