Durham’s historic farmers market reaches its 55th season

Even though it’s marked by handmade signage, a beloved piece of Durham’s local produce history is easy to miss if you drive on Barbee Road without Perkins Orchard already in mind.

Those “in the know” about what lies at the bottom of that sloping gravel driveway in South Durham have been shopping at Durham’s only permanent farmer’s market since 1970.

The three-acre lot behind owner Donovan Watson’s house is home to an open-air market and the Orchard Club, an enclosed building that sells locally sourced and other grocery items. Both small buildings are painted in Perkins’ signature bright green.

As they enter the wooden, lattice-walled market, customers new-and-old are greeted with some Perkins history.

Photographs and plaques share the walls with shelves bearing vibrant, juicy fruits, vegetables, jams and jellies.

As Watson proudly tells it, Perkins Orchards’ began as a fruit stand created by his grandfather, Alex Watson.

“As a child I took interest in [the fruit stand],” Watson said.

Now, decades later, Watson said Perkins Orchard enjoys a reputation as “one of the leading advocates of the industry.”

The Durham native tore down the fruit stand that once sat in front of his home in 2012 and moved the business to the back. Since then, Perkins Orchard has continued to expand.

The business sells products from around 300 vendors, mostly from North Carolina, supplying 40,000 pounds of produce weekly.

“I’m trying to do all I can for the state,” he said. “My priority is making sure my community is fed.”

The market is known for its $25 bag deal where customers can fill up a small bag with any produce in the market and receive a free item like tomatoes, jellies, and eggs.

For customers like Dee Hotley, this is a great way for her to get the fresh produce that she loves.

“[They are] very nice, very welcoming, very polite, very warm,” she said. “That’s why I keep coming back. It feels like family.”

Albert Baptist, another regular, said Perkins Orchard has been a staple for decades.

“I first went there in 1998 when I moved to Durham,” Baptist said, adding that he used to ride his bicycle to the market. “I’m from the country so country folks like fresh fruits and vegetables. And [there’s] nothing like getting them from a vegetable stand beside the road.”

Baptist said that he remembers visiting Perkins Orchard when it was just a small fruit stand. He remembers Watson as a child helping his grandparents.

Now, Baptist teases Watson about his abandoned high school career goal of being a meteorologist.

Watson responded: “But now I’m an entrepreneur.”

The 30-year-old admitted it’s difficult to run a farmer’s market. He added that farmers and grocers often do not receive the credit they deserve, particularly with the challenges of recent years.

The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating for many businesses. But his survived.

“Most people don’t understand what it means to run an essential business during the pandemic of nine months when most folks were sitting on their a–,” Watson said. “I was out here working every day.”

That work ethic paid off. Perkins Orchard thrived, even seeing a massive spike in sales.

Perkins Orchard grossed from around $644,000 the previous year to almost $2 million during the pandemic.

Watson also ran for N.C. Agriculture Commissioner in 2020. Though he didn’t win, he did receive over 250,000 votes. He said that demonstrates his far-reaching ties in his community.

Raising awareness about the challenges of the industry is an everyday goal when he interacts with his customers. Watson said he hopes to leave them “better informed walking out than when [they] arrived.”

On that note, Watson said he is saddened by the decreasing number of farms in North Carolina, despite the population consistently growing.

Still, he said he’s determined to keep Perkins going, mindful of his responsibility to support his pregnant wife and son.

Watson also prides himself on being one of the few Black farmers market owners in the state.

“There aren’t many Black farmers and there aren’t many Black farmer’s markets,” he said. “So, to be the catalyst to connect the white farmer with the consumer is kind of beautiful.”