By Heather Ruppe
Farmers from across Colleton County are coming to the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market in Walterboro to sell their produce and meet Colleton residents. The farmers market is open on Tuesdays from 4-8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. These hours are seasonal, lasting from May through December. Each Saturday, Colleton residents can enjoy visiting dozens of local farmers, artisans and bakers. One of these vendors is the Treasured Earth Farm, owned and operated by husband-and-wife farmers Jessica and Matthew Panza. The farm is located on the family’s homestead in Round O. There, the family grows organic and seasonal products year-round, using a sustainable method for their produce. Currently, the Panzas have 250 blueberry plants and 30 peach trees and also sells seasonal produce, such as squash. “We have dairy goats, about 30 right now. We also have 250 chickens, so we are ‘egg people,’” said Jessica Panza. “We bring produce, but we mainly sell eggs.” The couple moved to Round O four years ago from Asheville, N.C., where they lived on an organic farm. Jessica says they moved to Colleton County to be closer to family, who live in nearby Charleston County. According to Jessica, the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market is helping them network with other farmers. “We want to make people aware of sustainable agriculture and the importance of eating healthy, locally-grow food,” she said. “We want to grow and do more each year.” For more information on the Colleton Museum and Farmer’s Market, visit their Web site at www.colletonmuseum.org.
