This Smith family’s Market history began with George’s grandmother Callie Isley Smith at least as early as the 1930’s when the Market was downtown at Commerce Place. George tagged along after the Market moved to Lindsay and Yanceyville then became a full time vendor in 1973. He took a break from Market in 2002 to run a new venture. Now he and his farming partner and wife Donna are back.

George took a detour to run a Chatham County wholesale seafood business for almost ten years before he returned to the Market in 2012. He built the skills, knowledge and connections that allow him to bring shrimp, scallops, oysters, tuna and occasional specials like bee line snapper or sheepshead to the Market.

Today, seafood is a big part of his product line but not all. From his third generation family farm and his greenhouses George and Donna offer a full line of produce including greenhouse strawberries, starter plants, perennials and vegetables. Soon, if not already, he’ll add grass fed beef.

Somehow, he also found time to help establish Guilford County’s Mobile Oasis Market last year. And, now he’s joined the Market board too.

Farmers, including George, don’t take breaks but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have time to talk about the best ways to prepare his seafood and other products. If you have or haven’t found George in the Market, stop by and introduce yourself. After all in the words of his grandmother, “you cannot beat the fellowship of the Market.”

Published 2017