BEEBE -- The new veteran-owned Homesteaders Farmer's Market is set to open Saturday, bringing local farm goods and seasonal spring produce to Beebe residents.
U.S. Army veteran and market owner Dennis Bayless said it was important that the market would offer locally grown produce and locally made items to support Arkansas producers, and said to the best of his knowledge this will be the only local fresh market in Beebe.
"Right now, with our local producers, you're looking at a maximum from what I call 'plant to shelf' here, of 24 to 48 hours," Bayless said.
Bayless previously worked for 21 years at Dassault Falcon Jet in Little Rock and now works at Bull Creek Outdoors in Beebe.
It has taken roughly three months to outfit the Homesteaders Market building for opening, Bayless said.
"I built all of this at night and on weekends," Bayless said, referencing the woodwork at the market. "It was all built by all of us ... we've had so many of our friends and family come out and lend a hand."
Bayless grew up on a 10-acre farm he called a "truck patch" because it was so small, and he spent the summers of his youth farming. His family sold produce -- mostly to local fresh markets like the one he is now opening in Beebe.
"It has brought back a lot of memories for me, of being a kid," Bayless said.
"The second thing, (which) is very important to me, is that it's a way to eat healthier. Local produce, local meats, knowing your farmers, knowing your producers and where your food is actually coming from."
"Since launching our social media pages a few weeks (ago), we have blasted our way to about 1,500 or 1,600 followers already and we've had a lot of positive responses from the community," Bayless said. "We are extremely excited about this."
Bayless and his wife often visit other farmer's markets, "but we were having to drive far away from here," he said.
"So this place came up for sale, the house with the building beside it, and I had a vision -- that it was in a great location right off of Highway 64, lots of traffic and right outside of town."
"Our intent was to come together and work with these [agricultural producers] more like a cooperative, and say 'why don't you do what you do best,' which is to grow and to produce, and let me do what I do best, and invest in a building and bring products in that I can showcase here," Bayless said. "A lot of them had never really thought of doing it that way, and thankfully they jumped on board with us."
The market will sell all of the backyard barbecue essentials. Vilonia-based Poncho & Lefty's seasonings will be on offer -- Bayless said the owner of the brand has won numerous awards, including a world championship for their steak seasoning and their Memphis in May pork rub seasoning; as well as barbecue sauces, wood chips for smoking meat and charcoal.
The market will have a range of Arkansas-made beef jerkys, including flavors such as crawfish, dill pickle, teriyaki and chipotle.
The market will also sell Jerky's brand smoked cheeses made in Letona, in flavors like smoked pepperjack, smoked cheddar, mild and sharp cheddars, as well as smoked cream cheese.
"The smoked cream cheese pairs very well with the pepper jelly we sell," Bayless said. "You can take the smoked cream cheese out, let it get to room temperature and pour over about half a jar of the pepper jelly and eat it with any kind of cracker."
On Thursday, the market was stocked with locally grown romaine lettuce, as well as fresh peppers, zucchini, onions, potatoes, cabbages, broccoli, tomatoes, lemons and limes, apples and pink pineapples -- as well as locally made products like homemade jams, pickles and seasonings.
Their primary produce grower is based about 6 miles from the market.
The market will also have Barnhill Orchard fresh strawberries from Cabot available on opening day, Bayless said.
Bayless said he was most excited about the meat products on offer because all of the beef, chicken and pork products were raised within 10 miles of Beebe.
5R Custom Meats in Antioch supplies the beef products, Bayless said.
"We have worked with our producers to create a great marbling on the steaks," he said. "We worked with them, we told them how big we wanted the steer to grow ... we grew this particular steer a little heavier -- that way, the fat content is a little more."
Rosehill Homestead in Romance supplies the market's free-range chicken and pasture-raised pork.
Homesteaders Market will have its soft opening from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. at 400 U.S. 64 West in Beebe.
The market will reopen on Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m., according to the business's Facebook page.
