Greetings Fayette County Farmers Market friends and supporters. We are just a few weeks from the beginning of the 2021 Market season, and our vendors are gearing up to provide excellent products and customer service.
Both the Kings and Yoders are “retiring” from the market this year, and we will sorely miss them. As you probably are aware, growing vegetables is hard work made even harder by the unpredictability of the growing season climate and extremes. Our intrepid manager (aka David), continues to seek out produce vendors for the 2021 season, while others vendor will be adding additional produce to their tables.
Our farmers market is a “cooperative,” with the vendor members meeting twice per year. We held our spring meeting in early April—at this meeting we finalized the dates for the Saturday and Wednesday markets, nominated and elected board of directors (president, vice president, treasurer and at large member), discussed changes to our bylaws as well as outreach and advertising, market programming, and this years probable Covid-19 protocols.
We are pleased to announce that the market season will commence on Saturday, May 8 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and E. East Street. The Wednesday market (at the TSC parking lot), will begin on Wednesday, May 12 from 3-6 p.m.
We are excited to have many new vendors joining us this year, including vendors bringing: premium ground beef, cookies, crocheted items, farm fresh eggs, crafts, personalized mugs and other products, and bratwurst. And we have returning vendors with seasonal produce, jams, baked goods, honey, crafts, pottery, potted plants, hanging baskets, cut flowers, pies, bottled salsas, artisan breads and more.
Of course, we will be following all state requirements for Covid-19 protocols, including any potential changes to these protocols over the course of the summer. It appears that they will not be as strict as last season, but we will be alert and careful for the protection of ourselves and our community. We hope to re-institute our children’s craft activities and special events, including music.
We have some dedicated and hard working volunteers. During the Saturday market, our valued volunteers help out at the information booth, answer questions, run credit card/debit purchases, help customers with heavy purchases, set up tents and market signage, and live stream market activities.
Other volunteers are always needed for activities such as: website development, newspaper and/or social media articles and publicity, networking and community engagement, and activities we perhaps have never considered. So, if you’d like to talk to us about volunteering, please contact David Persinger, market manager.
We are always excited about seeing young people engage with the market and will consider young volunteers for market set up and supports. If you aren’t familiar with it, you can find all kinds of past and current market information on our website: www.fayettecountyfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/.
