RAPID CITY - Ev Merritt has been selling her produce at Black Hills Market for 18 years and shows no sign of stopping.

The 83-year-old from Black Hawk, along with her husband Stu Steele, set up their "Cottonwood Acres" shop every market with their jams, jellies, petunias and vegetables.

For the first time, the market opened early this year, holding its opening Saturday instead of in July. Merritt said the early opening this year hasn't stopped her from finding products to sell.

"It's great, because it's not so easy to have lettuces, radishes, asparagus and rhubarb so late in the season," she said.

Within an hour, Steele already had to return home to get more rhubarb after the pair had run out.

Merritt said the market got an early start in order to coincide with the Black Hills Fat Tire festival that was hosting vendors nearby.

At the busy point in the summer, the farmers market averages about 25 vendors for each event every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in July and August, but on Saturday, the market only had three.

"I don't know what happened to the other vendors. I thought there was supposed to be seven of us," Merritt said.

One other vendor who was selling produce Saturday was Ranee Priem of Hot Springs. Priem, who is selling for her second year at the Black Hills Farmers Market, brought eggs, jams, radishes and onions. She said she was happy to be able to come out earlier in the season.

"For those of us who have produce early, it gives us a chance to extend our season," Priem said.

She said that as the season progresses she'll bring more vegetables - peas, green beans, lettuce and carrots.

Merritt said business had been good so far for the early start and that many customers welcomed the new schedule.

"Some people have said, 'Gee, now it feels like summer,'" Merritt said.