In July 2016, the Webster County Farmers’ Market was established and opened under the name “Webster County Farmers’ Market #1WC”.  Over the past two years, the market has had as many as 11 paid vendors that provided locally grown fruits and vegetables, value added products and beef, pork and poultry cuts of meats to many patrons.  

According to results of an on-line social media survey and a paper survey given at the market in 2017, customers identified the need to expand the market to multiple days and multiple locations within the county.  In 2018, The Webster County Farmers’ Market expanded its hours of operation to three days each week and three different locations.  This expansion has given vendors more opportunities to sell their products and given Extension the opportunity to offer programs at the market to a new audience. The market was also approved for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) which provides low-income seniors with vouchers that can be exchanged for eligible foods at the farmers’ Market. According to the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coordinator, Webster County received seventy-five senior voucher booklets, which is equivalent to two-thousand one hundred dollars in 2018.  The redemption rate for Webster County was 75.62%.  In the coordinators own words, “That is very good for the first year!”.   This program alone brought sixteen hundred dollars income directly to the farmers’ market vendors.   This program has given Cooperative Extension the opportunity to partner with the farmers market to meet the needs of an under-served audience in Webster County.    

For 2019, one hundred senior voucher booklets will be distributed which is equivalent to two-thousand eight hundred dollars.   The Webster County Farmers’ Market was also approved for the Kentucky Double Dollars Program for the 2019 market year.  The mission for the program is to remove obstacles of Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program participants to increase the purchase and consumption of locally-grown food with a point of sale “double dollars” incentives at farmers’ markets across Kentucky.  Webster county received two-thousand dollars in incentive coupons.

 Webster County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources led the task of organizing and opening the market.  Since the markets inception, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent has served as market manager and offered various training's for vendors and been the lead coordinator for receiving SFMNP and KY Double Dollars Program.  Webster County Cooperative Extension Service has had programs at the market to promote Plate it Up recipes and to encourage healthy food options for their families.