Part coffee shop, part artisanal market, part community showcase, the newly opened Southern Virginia Maker’s Market is already making a name for itself as a favorite foodie hangout. The South Hill market offers a variety of seasonal produce and local specialty items from more than 122 farmers and artisan producers.

Currently, the market carries local and regionally produced meats, eggs, produce, snack foods, fresh bread and scones, and will soon offer locally-sourced, ready made meals for pick-up.

Truly a community project, The Maker’s Market is the result of a lot of people’s passion for food, love for what they do and dedication to this region of Mecklenburg County. According to Ann Taylor Wright, local family farmer and the food hub’s Founder, the Maker’s Market was more than five years in the making.

Ann and her husband, Allen, first had chickens on their farm, then later added pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, and longhorn cattle. Ann wanted to start selling her chicken salad, but needed help to get started. So she reached out to the Southside Planning District Commission in hopes of opening a commercial kitchen that she and her fellow farmers could use to create value-added products. As the idea took shape, Ann began the long process of writing grants, creating executive and advisory boards, holding meetings, and choosing the project’s target region, which expanded to include Brunswick, Charlotte, Nottoway, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Greensville, Dinwiddie, and Lunenburg counties.

The final piece of the puzzle came locked into place when the Town of South Hill stepped up as a strategic partner for the community project. The Town offered the use of a beautiful downtown space on the corner of W. Danville Street and S. Mecklenburg Avenue. Other partners came on board, and the longtime dream of the Maker’s Market became reality.

Thanks to Ann’s leadership and the support of many, many individuals, organizations, agencies and sponsors, operations are in full swing. The kitchen is fully outfitted with commercial appliances, and inspected regularly to ensure everything meets all required codes. The building has been renovated and furnished, including a separate classroom area with chairs. The fully functional kitchen even has a dairy room that, once furnished, will be available for small dairy farmers to pasteurize and bottle their milk, or to make soft cheeses and ice cream. The room could also be used to bottle fruit juice. According to Ann, there is no other working community dairy room like this one in the country.

Stop by on your next visit, and you’re likely to find a host of local producers serving up samples of local vegetables, egg salad, sausage balls, cheesecake, and other sweet and savory foods.

Southern Virginia Makers Market
100 West Danville Street
South Hill, Virginia 23970, (434) 584-9777
Open 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Open 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday

Find Menus on Facebook: @SoVaMakersMarket

The Southern Virginia Maker’s Market is supported by the Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, the Town of South Hill, the Southside Planning District Commission, and countless volunteers, farmers, producers and organizers.