Author: Kara Back-Campbell
Planning Unit: Taylor County CES
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Plan of Work: Management and Marketing
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has previously had low vendor and customer numbers for several years. Last year there was a considerable increase in the numbers of vendors with a total of ten. This season the numbers of customers and vendors have increased even more to a total of 15 vendors and over one thousand customers as of June twenty-ninth. This has improved the financial well-being of the vendors and allows customers to buy locally grown produce. One vendor stated the last two market days were record sale days for him and his wife. These days on average will increase customer counts to over one hundred.
Additional kid activity days have been added this year to the market to further increase customers. There are normally two held each month. Each day is themed. There have been topics such as insects, strawberries, hummingbirds, and 4th of July. Kids and families have greatly appreciated the activity days. During the hummingbird activity day one grandmother stated her grandchild was asking when the next one would be. He was so excited to learn about hummingbirds.
The Taylor County Extension Office is partnering with the market to make these activities happen. Also, the market has partnered with the Taylor County Public Library and Taylor County Farm Bureau Federation.
To date there have been 84 children to participate in the kids’ activity days this market season. These children were counted separately from the adult customer number previously mentioned.
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