Enthusiastic consumers enjoyed healthy and local fare ranging from olive oils and vinaigrettes, to fresh produce and fruit, to poultry and seafood and freshly baked goods at the 41st inaugural Milford Farmers Market on Saturday June 15th at 300 Elm Street.

Organizer Adrienne Colsia was more than thrilled with the great weather and expected a big turnout.

“One of our first markets last year, there a deluge of rain,” she said. “This year, we couldn’t ask for a better day.”

Colsia, who has managed the summer market and its sellers for the last few years, and the winter farmers market for nine years, said several hundred people typically come out to check the local goods.

“I strive for diversity,” she said. “And we want to keep it a legitimate farmers market. We don’t want it to be a craft fair. It’s hard in the summer to find legitimate sellers. For example, the Lakonian Olive Oil, he and his sister fly to a family farm in Greece and get their olives from there. Then they process it here, and there are never pesticides or herbicides ever used.”

Quarter Moon Farm, which produces black garlic, is also a first-time vendor.

“It’s small, but we really try to pack a punch,” said Colsia. “And we try not to overdo it. This year, again, we have only three bakeries but not one more. I have bakers coming out of the woodwork, but we really try to offer a variety of goods.”

They expect to diversify even more, offering a mushroom vendor (who had already sold out by 11AM!), and craft beer sellers.

Joe Phillips, along with Kimberly Anderson, of “Simply Pleasures,” said momentum has been great.

“It does get busy,” he said. “We have some slow points, but the first day is usually a good one.”

Anderson makes specialty breads, pies, scones, loaves and cookies, to name a several decadent delectibles.

“She makes everything from scratch,” said Phillips. “My soon-to-be-wife Kimberly makes all kinds of stuff out of her house in Mason. She’s licensed in the state of New Hampshire and we also provide catering. We do the Nashua, Bedford and Peterborough markets as well. Plus, there have been a number of graduations and weddings.”

Farmers markets continue to grow in number and locations throughout the United States. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are more than 8,700 farmers markets in the country, an increase of about 400 percent since 1994.

New Hampshire alone offers more than 50 weekly farmers markets, from Keene to Portsmouth, and Loudon to Nashua and everywhere in between.