Winder Farms opens farmers market at the Galleria at Sunset mall

Offering options from mom-and-pop vendors and local growers, Winder Farms has launched a farmers market in Henderson.

The farmers market, which opened Aug. 24, is slated to run from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 26 in the parking lot of the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road.

Winder Farms is a home-delivery company that offers more than 175,000 products, from fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy items, to Las Vegas and parts of Utah every week.

The company has set up booths at Henderson and Las Vegas farmers markets to offer samples of its products. This is the first time Winder Farms has organized its own event.

"Winder Farms is, and has always been, committed to supporting the local business community by purchasing products from local vendors," Ashley Vanderhoof, marketing manager for Winder Farms, said in a statement. "With the farmers market, we're able to further carry out that commitment by providing an opportunity for local food and beverage companies to showcase and sell their products."

Sean McCrady, regional sales director of Winder Farms, said people had approached the company for years about doing a farmers market. From what he heard, people wanted more options when it came to supporting local businesses that offered fresh food items.

"People would say it is really hard to find that California-like market," McCrady said. "We wanted to offer another connecting point, another place for people to meet up."

There are several farmers markets in the valley, including three in the Henderson area: The Henderson Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays at the Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St.; the Country Fresh Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays at the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway; and the fresh52 Farmers and Artisans Market from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sundays at Sansone Park Place, 9480 S. Eastern Ave.

"The Winder Farms farmers market is one of the new farmers markets that provides an option for people coming home from work and especially for Henderson residents who don't have this option on their side of town," McCrady said. "Customers like the variety of the vendors. They also like having an additional market option which, for some Henderson residents, may be closer and more convenient."

The market features vendors who sell homemade breads, cakes, produce, kettle corn, dried fruits, coffee, hummus and beef jerky.

"It provides local businesses with a low-cost way to make money, promote their business and generate leads for other potential future sales opportunities for their brands," McCrady said.

McCrady said the company still is expanding the market and working out contracts with new vendors.

"We hope to get some of the vendors from inside the mall out," McCrady said.

McCrady said one of the biggest draws of a farmers market is that it promotes freshness.

"It promotes eating healthy and having a healthy lifestyle," McCrady said.

After a few weeks, McCrady said Winder Farms has received positive feedback from vendors and customers.

"I think the traffic is starting to pick up," McCrady said.

McCrady said Winder Farms has a contract with the mall to host the market until Oct. 26. If the popularity is there, McCrady said, Winder Farms could extend it past October.

"We have always had a long-standing relationship with the mall," McCrady said. "We have established a rapport with them. They trust us to do what we say we are going to do."

For more information, visit winderfarms.com.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.