I know I'm not the only BYCer that has gone to this, but no one ever seems to discuss it on the board so I'll start a thread.
There is a twice a month Farm Market in Barberville, FL at the intersection of U.S. 17 and S.R. 40.
They have their own website which you can find here: http://farmswapmarket.com/
and as always you can find info on CMom's Florida Swaps & Meets thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=241786
I've been three times now in June, July and August and found it to be worthwhile in that it's easy to get to, there's good parking, and plenty of set-up space. It's a farm market so pretty much anything agriculture related is OK. There has been landscape plants, tools, jams & jellies, local honey, goats, pigs, occasionally cattle, and of course poultry - lots of poultry. This last time there was everything from common layer stock to exotic pheasants to rare chickens such as Shamo plus quail, ducks, geese, and turkeys. There are a couple of food vendors as well.
Especially in the hot months you'll want to bring a canopy or umbrella as the only real shade is along the east side tree line and those spaces fill up fast. We've been there at 6:30 a.m. when they open the gate for set up and found twenty five people ahead of us already so unless you can get there very early don't count on getting a shady spot. Nevertheless they draw a pretty fair traffic flow through there. In the three times we've been there have been at least forty vendors. Like any swap what moves well that day can be all over the map. I have no problem moving surplus large fowl roosters since there is a good size ethnic community that attends faithfully. Two of the three swaps I sold a few turkeys as well. From what I've seen it's the practical birds that move best but the one time we took extra Silkie cockerels we did not have to take them home again.
I haven't been there yet in the cooler months but I expect it'll be even busier than it is in the heat. If it's not too long of a drive for you it's worth checking out. For me it's better than an hour and a half to get there so I save it for those times when I have no closer local swaps. For our East Coast folks who find the other swaps too far to drive to it's worth looking into.
There is a twice a month Farm Market in Barberville, FL at the intersection of U.S. 17 and S.R. 40.
They have their own website which you can find here: http://farmswapmarket.com/
and as always you can find info on CMom's Florida Swaps & Meets thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=241786
I've been three times now in June, July and August and found it to be worthwhile in that it's easy to get to, there's good parking, and plenty of set-up space. It's a farm market so pretty much anything agriculture related is OK. There has been landscape plants, tools, jams & jellies, local honey, goats, pigs, occasionally cattle, and of course poultry - lots of poultry. This last time there was everything from common layer stock to exotic pheasants to rare chickens such as Shamo plus quail, ducks, geese, and turkeys. There are a couple of food vendors as well.
Especially in the hot months you'll want to bring a canopy or umbrella as the only real shade is along the east side tree line and those spaces fill up fast. We've been there at 6:30 a.m. when they open the gate for set up and found twenty five people ahead of us already so unless you can get there very early don't count on getting a shady spot. Nevertheless they draw a pretty fair traffic flow through there. In the three times we've been there have been at least forty vendors. Like any swap what moves well that day can be all over the map. I have no problem moving surplus large fowl roosters since there is a good size ethnic community that attends faithfully. Two of the three swaps I sold a few turkeys as well. From what I've seen it's the practical birds that move best but the one time we took extra Silkie cockerels we did not have to take them home again.
I haven't been there yet in the cooler months but I expect it'll be even busier than it is in the heat. If it's not too long of a drive for you it's worth checking out. For me it's better than an hour and a half to get there so I save it for those times when I have no closer local swaps. For our East Coast folks who find the other swaps too far to drive to it's worth looking into.
