BAY MINETTE, Ala. – Looking for fresh produce in the middle of the week but don’t want to wait until the weekend farmers’ markets? The Habitat ReStore has an option for you.

The ReStore, a retail division of Habitat for Humanity, kicked off the Habitat Market Wednesday morning outside the store located at 591 S. U.S. Highway 31, on the Highway 59 bypass just north of Standard Furniture. The Habitat Market is scheduled for each Wednesday in August and September. There is no charge for people to set up in the parking lot near the highway.

“We were looking for ways to alert people that we are here and help out folks in the community,” said Sandy Folan, ReStore director. “We are still a new business is town so we were looking for ways to get more traffic into the store.

“At the same time, we are right on the highway. Having vendors set up might help them attract customers and when they stop, they can come inside the store as well.”

For the first day, the three vendors were happy with the traffic by mid-morning Wednesday. In addition to peaches, tomatoes and watermelons, one vendor was selling wreaths and flower arrangements.

“I’ll have peaches for another two weeks,” said John Stewart, who has 158 peach trees in a dozen varieties just off Highway 225. “This variety has been real good. I like to pick them a little riper but the weather has been difficult.”

The deluge of rain in July destroyed some crops, but the extra water seemed to be good for Robert Hughes watermelon patch in Lottie.

“We only had an acre this year but we’ve pulled about 1,000 off of it. This is the fourth trailer full,” Hughes said looking at the pickup bed full of fruit. “I sold six huge ones last week. The smallest was 52 pounds.”

Additional vendors are expected for the Aug. 21 market.

“We’re excited and thrilled that they are here,” said Folan. “I hope it is profitable for them.

“We are still looking at how can ReStore fit into the market. We may look at taking some merchandise out there as sort of a yard sale.”

The Habitat Market was initially planned to start a week earlier but got delayed. In the coming weeks, officials will evaluate how it went and make any changes. That could include starting the market earlier next summer, to take better advantage of the produce season.

The ReStore takes in donated furniture and building supplies — both new and reclaimed — and sells them to the general public at costs much lower than big box stores. All of the proceeds stay in Baldwin County. In 2012, Habitat celebrated its 20th year in Baldwin County by building 20 homes for partner families.