New Ground for Farmers Markets

She said the center was forced to close the market because produce had been provided by the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, which is experiencing financial troubles. She said another organic market would find buyers in Loudoun.

Farmers are also working to introduce technology into their booths. Waterford Vineyards, which sells its products at the Thursday Purcellville market, lets customers use credit cards, swiping them through a portable device connected to a Cingular network.

"We have people who would buy a bottle, but they buy two" with a credit card, said Vicki Fedor, who works for the vineyard.

Technology pervades the market in other ways, as customers collect business cards complete with vendor Web sites. The Lotzes regularly exchange e-mail addresses with customers. On Thursday, one shopper said she'd like to buy a quarter or half of the next cow the Lotzes send to slaughter. The farmers, retired professionals, typically send only two a month for processing, so they promised to e-mail the next time they did so.

More farmers can offer credit card sales now that the town of Purcellville offers free wireless Internet access downtown, said Warren Howell, agricultural marketing manager for Loudoun County Economic Development. His department as been encouraging them to try it as a way to encourage shoppers to spend more.

But he said purchases still tend to be small and cash-driven at the markets.

"The technology is there, but our people haven't caught up to it," Howell said.

Chris Lotze said he and his wife encounter customers every week who would buy more meat but don't have enough cash on them to do so. But they said they won't make the transition until the town provides electricity to the parking lot where the market is held, as well as the Internet.

Without credit card technology, they instead rely on an older form of farmers market payment: neighborly credit.

Pushing a baby stroller filled with groceries, Waterford resident Amanda Kennett sadly told the Lotzes that she had used up her cash at other stands and would buy meat, if they took cards.

"Will you be back next week?" Chris Lotze asked, to her nod. "Then owe us. Pay us then."