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Web posted
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Vendors start your tillers
Winfield's Walnut Valley Farmers' Market has been in business for over 10 years and Arkansas City Farm & Ark Market is starting its fourth year.
Our communities have enjoyed locally homegrown fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, baked goods, fresh flowers and plants, wooden crafts, homemade projects, jewelry items and more.
The regulars come to visit and shop for the freshest possible produce and look for unique items sold directly from the producer or the artist. The markets do not allow reselling. You will be buying from the grower or the maker of the item (or maybe their helper) and be able to visit with them about where the fruits and vegetables, herbs and flowers were grown locally.
In February, Jerry Jost, Kansas Rural Center, Lawrence, KS, facilitated "Grow Your Farmers' Market" workshop to the coordinators/volunteers of Winfield and Ark City farmers' markets; Marietta Brammer, Wilma Roady, Dick and Dolly Bonfy.
The workshop was filled with planning tools to build a successful market. The workshop was funded by USDA's Risk Management Agency. The framework for the workshop encouraged a market plan:
1. Create a focus on the important issues. 2. Guide markets to invest resources wisely. 3. Help markets run more smoothly.
Jost presented many farmer's marketing examples and asked what worked and what did not work... "Weed out what doesn't work" was the message.
Glean ideas to improve displays, gather tips on market promotion and cultivate community partnerships. Sow the seeds of innovation.
Jost worked with the coordinators to build a needs list and then decide the highest needs to work on first.
Both markets were in need of signage and advertising promotions to remind people of the market times and places.
Location, location, location was discussed and Winfield put this as a very high priority. Jost suggested that the present location was almost hidden.
The highest need was the "all call" for local farmers and gardeners to bring their quality homegrown fruits and vegetables, herbs and nuts and plants to the market. We need more core-vendors at both markets.
According to the Agriculture Marketing Service, USDA, farmers markets, now an integral part in the urban/farm linkage, have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Local farmers and consumers benefit. Farmers have direct access to markets to supplement farm income. Consumers have access to locally grown farm-fresh produce and the opportunity to personally interact with the farmer who grows the produce.
As an outcome of the workshop, Jost encouraged Ark City and Winfield market coordinators to jointly apply for a $1000 grant from the Kansas Rural Centers.
The grant request was for signage promotion for the markets. In addition the two markets will advertise together in large signs and in newspaper and online advertisement.
Ark City Farm & Art Market opens on Thursday afternoon (4:00) and Winfield's Walnut Valley Farmers' Market opens on Saturday mornings at 7:30 and they share many of the same vendors and consumers.
Farmers' Market vendors...start your engines and tillers.
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