Special to the Times
The city of Bessemer is making its citizens health and wellness a top priority with the launch of its first health initiative and the opening of The Bessemer Farmer’s Market.
The Bessemer Farmer’s Market grand opening will be on Thursday, June 1, at Alex Bradford Park, on the corner of 1st Ave and 19th St N in Bessemer from 4 p.m. -6:30 p.m. The health initiative, ACTIVE, FIT, HEALTHY- BESSEMER is a city-wide effort in conjunction with UAB Minority Health and The Coalition for the Fight Against Obesity to push Bessemer’s health consciousness forward in 2017.
Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley and the City Council have made great strides in creating a conversation about healthy living and providing an outlet for residents to develop long-lasting habits, and active lifestyles. With the opening of the Bessemer Rec Center last summer, the community gained access to state-of-the-art cardio equipment and resistance training, aquatic fitness training, aerobic classes, indoor and outdoor walk trails and tracks, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts, as well as soccer, baseball, softball, and football fields.
The Bessemer Farmer’s Market will provide freshly harvested fruits and vegetables from local farmers all year long. Studies and quality tests determine that locally grown produce have fewer pesticides, and are fresher to taste than packaged and crated produce from large grocery chains. Bessemer will provide a healthy alternative to the mega superstore for community dwellers.
Starting June 5, the Bessemer Farmers Market will be open every Monday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Medical West Hospital, and Thursday’s from 4 p.m. -6:30 p.m. at Alex Bradford Park (on the corner of 1st Ave and 19th St N, Bessemer, AL 35020).
The grand opening will feature local vendors: Fiddlers Farm, Walden Farm, Postell Farm, and Sowing Seeds (providing fresh produce and homespun merchandise for the community to enjoy), and more. Live cooking demos will be on display all around the market place sharing fresh and innovative recipes to prepare at home.
For more information about the Bessemer Farmer’s Market, contact operations manager, Joe Openshaw at (205) 907-4099 Or visit our website at www.bessemeral.org.
