The 15th anniversary season of the West Chester Grower's Market kicks off today!

We've all been looking for signs of spring - what's blooming? When will the warm weather be here to stay? Well, a sure sign of spring in West Chester is the opening weekend of the Grower's Market at the corner of North Church and West Chestnut Street.

"I love seeing the people coming back to market greeting each other, I could stand even if I wasn’t selling, just watching the people in the aisles greet neighbors they haven't seen all year," said Ellen Watson of Ellen April homemade soaps. "And seeing customers who were pregnant last year coming back with their babies."

The beginning of a new season, like the market itself, is about a lot more than just new plants and new things to taste (of which there will be many!). It's about the unique community that develops each season and the new friendships being formed.

"[Customers] will find the producers of what they’re buying, so they get to talk to the person who grew or made what they’re purchasing, which is ever so important," Watson said. "Before I started selling, I have gone out of my way and spent more money to purchase something from a nice person."

Because everything at the market is grown locally, it is all seasonal. While grocery stores ship produce thousands of miles and from other countries and continents to have items on their shelves year-round, you won't find tomatoes at the market the first week of May because they are not ready yet in our region. When tomatoes grown right in our area are at the peak of their taste and freshness and the farmers you have grown to trust know they're ready, then you'll see them at the market!

What will you see the first week?

"Early spring you should expect a lot of bedding plants," Watson said. "There will be a lot of spring vegetables, beautiful flowers. Of course, aside from the produce we have soap, dog treats, a winery that will come every other week, and many other items."

We'll be telling you more about the local growers and merchants and all the special items they'll be selling this season right here on the West Chester Grower's Market blog. You can even follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wcgrowersmarket, and join our email newsletter list by signing up on our homepage.