No better way to start a weekend
New farmers market manager is high energy
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
Get ready for a high energy Putnam Saturday Farmers Market. The new market manager, Cosley Perkins, is going to be bringing it!
“I think the pavilion is a thing of beauty and something so worth celebrating every Saturday, June to October. The Putnam Saturday Farmers Market is a gift. A walk on the River Trail? A cup of coffee from a local cafe? Fresh produce and baked goods? I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend.”
“I certainly would not call myself a farmer, but for as long as I can remember, my family has always taken advantage of our short yet bountiful growing season,” Perkins said. She added: “As a child I have fond memories of tending a garden with my mom and now I am grateful to have little hands helping me tend ours. In recent years I have taken up canning and we also have chickens— I am a self-proclaimed crazy chicken lady! We love our girls (and Brad, the rooster)!”
She’s taking the helm of the farmers market which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from June 6 to Oct. 31. Sometimes the market has had two market managers, but Perkins is so high-energy, there’s no need for two.
Born and raised in Putnam, Perkins was laid off from an operations job in 2024 and that was a turning point for her and her family. “I took that as a sign to recalibrate. I wanted to start doing less with less. My husband and I have been married for 12 years this year. We have an almost 10-year-old daughter and almost 8-year-old son. We already loved where we lived; it was time to start really living, and not just let life pass me/us by.”
She applied for the market manager job because she really loves farmers market. “Like many others in the community, I’m there every weekend. I figured– what the heck?! Let’s give it a try!”
She is working on filling every slot, whether it be farmers, artists, non-profits, music or craftspeople. She’s nearly got every slot filled.
“For 2026 we have 11 full-time vendors committed to joining us all 22 weeks! So this leaves me with four opportunities to bring both necessity and diversity to the market each week and I am doing my best to do just that. Four part-time vendor spots also means four opportunities for newer farms and businesses that are working to get established. This really excited me — welcoming new faces to the market and the wonderful community!”
While there may be ideas for future markets, this year she plans to keep the market simple and successful. “The market has been a success for 16 years; I have no plans to mess with that!”
“I’d like to bring it back to our roots. Appreciating our farmers, food, artisans and vendors.”
“This small town girl is excited about being the new kid on the block as the 2026 Putnam Saturday Farmers Market Manager! We’re going to keep it simple this year and it’s going to be one for the record books.”
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