“Nothing builds a local economy like food,” is what farmer Lee Mink tells students and agriculture officials.

Mink, who owns and operates Leap Farm in Mill Spring, was one of the many local growers displaying and selling produce, plants and other products raised or created locally at Friday, May 3’s opener of the Saluda Tailgate Market.

The market is held Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. near the Route 176 bridge toward the west end of town, from May through October.

It is one of three such markets held in Polk County with the purpose of connecting residents with local farmers and their products. The others are in Columbus and Tryon.

This year’s opener boasted 24 vendors, nine more than last year’s, said Shelley DeKay, Saluda Business Association’s tailgate market coordinator.

The Saluda Business Association sponsors and manages the enterprise for the City of Saluda and Polk County Agricultural Development.

“I think it was a great market for a cold, cloudy Friday,” said DeKay. “The reason we can keep the caliber of vendors we have is the community support.”

She noted that the market’s ongoing success involves “finding the right balance in the number of vendors. I think they all had a good market.”