The weather was up and down all day but on Friday at 4 p.m. the new Green Valley Farmer’s Market opened at John Robinson Jr. Town Square.

Portia Clark, the coordinator of the market and President of the Green Valley Civic Association, said she has been working on opening the new market since last April. “You know the special permits, the occupancy, all the whole County process.” Clark is working with the County but says that Green Valley isn’t officially part of the Arlington Farmers Market network. 

Clark had eight vendors and eight information providers signed up for the opening of the new market but the uncertainty of the weather seemed to have discouraged a few from showing up. 

Mediterranean Farm Kitchen has a good spot for setting out their 48 homemade pita breads, olives “from our farm in Bethlehem,” and a variety of humus including spicy, basil-garlic, beet, ginger and olive oil — everything for $7 each.

Down the sidewalk Renee Mehrdad, the founder and creator of Suka Nuts, has set out her bags of homemade granola “with plenty of nuts,” her seasoned peanuts, candied fruit and the most popular — bourbon-maple pecans. She says her business started in 2022, and she produces the nuts and confectionary treats while her daughter does the administrative work.

Just across the sidewalk Mark Dsouza and Tatiana Russell, two volunteers for Eco-Action Arlington, have set up an information table. Volunteers for Moms Demand Action man another information table nearby.

On the far corner of the square Goldman Farm, a sixth generation family farm, is offering a variety of spring vegetables including cucumbers, asparagus, green onions, and red Russian kale. And, at the end of the table,“See they’re bunching up collards.” The farmer managing the market says he is part of a rural group of about 10 farmers who all help each other out if one of them is out of some farm produce. 

“We don’t have many people where I’m from in Cullen, Virginia so we know we need to come up here to the city.” He says he is excited to be here and eventually he and the other farmers in his group are hoping to be able to turn the farming over to the younger farmers.

Clark said,  “It was delightful to see family, friends and community from all over Arlington and the DMV out in the John Robinson Town Square shopping, chatting and doing what we set out to do building relationships. We all learned something about what we can do when community comes together. “

The Green Valley Market will be open 4-7 pm on Fridays.