New farmer's market opens near Pine Haven

Long time Pine Haven residents LaDonna Rolfson and daughter Stephanie opened a new farmers market last weekend, calling it Old Sundance Market. The soon-to-be-seasonal show garden and facility sits in the pines, west of the Pine Ridge/Old Sundance intersection with signage leading the way along the drive.

At this time, the mother/daughter team are creating the show garden on the lot with the large garden situated on Stephany’s farm nearby.

As customers entered the Old Sundance Market on Saturday afternoon, smiles bloomed as brightly as the springtime white, red, orange and salmon geraniums resting along the walkway.

A special treat is the inside of the petite cottage, where cut flowers, local honey and bunched radishes, lettuce, turnups and onions are available.

“We have seasonal gardens with vegetables for sale as they come up. We are pesticide free; we don’t use any chemicals,” says LaDonna. The facility cannot use the word ‘organic’ because they are not certified as such.

Friend and neighbor Bob Peterson assisted the Rolfsons in getting the enterprise open before Memorial Day weekend. LaDonna explained that the building had initially been intended as a guest house, but the two avid gardeners suddenly saw it as an opportunity to showcase a much-needed local farmers’ market.

“We’ve been doing farmers markets and online deliveries for two years and we decided we’re tired of packing and hauling stuff so we’ll do this,” she says.

The two are debating the days and hours (Friday through Sunday or Saturday and Sunday) they will set, but will have more information on the Pine Haven Community Board on FaceBook.