Author: Christan Miracle
Major Program: Farmer's Markets
The Lebanon, KY Farmers Market is located in the heart of Central KY. The market has had on average 5 steady vendors for the last few years and has done well considering the low vendor turn out. This year the market has turned over a new leaf with both the amount of active vendors and increasing customer base. The COVID-19 Pandemic has helped sales tremendously at the market. Although that is not the only factor increasing sales. New and improved marketing at given the market a huge boost as wel
Author: Dayna Fentress
For the past three years, the Family and Consumer Sciences Program has aimed to increase the volume and awareness of the Hardin County Farmers' Market. By offering child and adult programs at the market and taking over their social media advertising, the FCS agent and the Farmers' Market board have worked to increase fruit and vegetable intake of Hardin County residents while also promoting the local food system. The market has seen steady and continued growth for the past two summers, w
Author: Mattea Mitchell
The Hickman County Farmers Market is a newer addition to the community. The Hickman County Extension Office staff continues to offer programs at the market, and educate the public on the importance of shopping local and supporting the local producers. In order to celebrate peach season in Hickman County, the Just Peachy program was scheduled for July 13th, 2019. For this program, we partnered with the Four River Counties Early Childhood Council, KAPS Family Resource Center, Hickman County M
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
The Taylor County Farmers' Market recently received a USDA small business promotion grant to use toward the famers' market in Taylor County. In cooperation with the health department and the extension office the market is working toward a revitalization. Increasing interest within the market throughout the community by increased advertisement on radio paper and social media. While also, providing opportunities for vendors to utilize free advertisement, resources provided by the market, e
Author: Cecelia Hostilo
According to statistics gathered from the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Report for Trigg County, the food insecurity rate is 13.6%. Many in the county depend upon the local market for access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so it was important that the Farmers Market be able to open safely. The market traditionally opens the first Saturday of April and is open every Wednesday and Saturday through October. With the COVId-19 restrictions and health risks the Market Manag
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
The SoKY Marketplace, Warren County Fiscal Court, Warren County Cooperative Extension Office, and other community partners are working together to promote agriculturally related businesses, create jobs, improve access to healthy locally grown specialty crop commodities, and provide educational classes to strengthen the regional food economy of Southcentral Kentucky. These organizations have worked together to successfully launch a downtown weekend farmers market, weekday consignment farmers mark
Author: Vicki Shadrick
The Kentucky Proud Farm to Fork program increases awareness of buying local while teaming up with a local charitable organization. The events highlight local farmers, Kentucky Proud farm products and local chefs while raising money for a local approved organization.The Webster County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Webster County Farmers’ market, local producers, Kentucky Department of Agriculture and volunteers came together to plan and implement the first Web
Author: Deborah Stumbo
The Pikeville Farmers Market sponsored "Hatfield McCoy days" at the Farmers Market. It has been a repeated success for 3 years in a row. Market worked closely with City and County Tourism offices to Feature not only local food, produce, and dinner for tour busses, but as an emphasis for our local crafters. Our local FM rules are suspended for the Crafters. For this project we accept all local crafters whether they have been juried in or not, as a way to emphasiz
Author: Gregory Comer
The poor health & wellness of youth in Kentucky, is a growing epidemic. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kentucky’s youth have the fifth highest obesity rate in the U.S. Children who are obese, are more likely to be obese as adults, thus, they are at increased risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer and osteoarthristis. To combat this problem, the Ohio County Cooperative Extension Service, Ohio County H
Author: Mary McCarty
The Menifee County Farmers Market started planning their 2020 Market Season long before we heard the words Covid 19. Opening date was set for the earliest it had ever been, Mid May. With Covid 19 creating havoc in the state of Kentucky a plan went into place to make sure that the market was safe for the vendors as well as the consumers. Market leadership contacted the local health department and local officials to have a special egg sale early in April as well as plan to open t
Author: Gary Hamilton
The Farmers' Market provides an economic benefit and healthy nutritional role to the citizens of Mt. Sterling and Montgomery County. To help show it's customers how much they are appreciated, the Farmers Market Executive Board with the help of the Extension Service, organized a very successful Customer Appreciation Event held at the brand new Farmers’ Market Pavilion in downtown Mt. Sterling. The event included: Food, Educational Demonstrations, Displays, Health Screenings and Door
Author: Kendyl Redding
In 2019, the Farmers’ Market had an increase of 14 new vendors, making a total of 18 vendors at the market. We have two locations in the county and they are set up almost every day of the week between the two of them. The Powell County Farmers’ Market participates in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. In 2019, the Extension office issued about 300 voucher booklets which amount to about $9,000 in senior benefits to b
Author: Alexis Amorese Sheffield
In an effort to improve vendor membership and success rate at the Boyle Co. Farmer’s Market, the Boyle Co. Horticulture Agent worked with the Farmer’s Market Board and Center for Crop Diversification at the University of KY to develop an orientation training for those interested in selling in the 2020 market year. Topics included: Info on market dates. How to fill out an application and pay dues. How to
Author: Keith Center
The Elliott County Farmers’ Market is well frequented by shoppers hungry for fresh and local produce in the summer months. In an effort to fill the void of the vacant Family and Consumer Sciences Agent position, summer intern Alyssa Cox set up at the market several times throughout the summer. She used venue to inform the community about proper nutrition, cooking methods, and financially smart shopping practices. To draw people in, she handed out samples of Plate it Up Kentucky Proud recip
Author: Bethany Wilson
Pulaski County has had two farmers markets for 16 years yet neither has a pavilion or structure to protect them and their customers from the weather. In February 2019, four farmers and the Pulaski County Horticulture Agent met with the new Somerset mayor, the community development specialist, and the County Judge Executive. The city agreed to build the structure using grant monies available from the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP). &nbs
Author: Bethany Pratt
In order to support English-Language Learning (ELL) Farmers Market Vendors, the Jefferson County Horticulture Agent partnered with the University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversity (CCD) and CommonEarth Gardens to adapt the COVID-19 Farmers Market training from CCD to make it accessible for the ELL Farmers.The CCD took the lead in developing several webinars about changes to farmers markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hort Agent and members of CommonEarth Gardens attended these webinars
Author: Janey Cline
Diversification of Hart County Agriculture has been identified as a major area for program efforts. Extension has worked for many years to help producers identify and take advantage of opportunities in diversified agricultural enterprises. We have assisted growers in developing markets for vegetable crops and have done extensive work in vegetable production. During the 2019 season Extension played a major role in finding funds for a Market Manager, establishing a Farmers Market in Horse Cave and
Author: Shane Bogle
The demand for locally grown fresh produce has increased exponentially over the last few years. With the success of the KY Proud initiative, local Farmers Markets have become the catalyst to provide safe, fresh and nutritious produce to communities across the state. The Caldwell County Extension Service in collaboration with multiple partners including the Caldwell county Farmers Market, County government, City government, and Farmers Market supporters hosted two Farm to Table Dinner
