Success StoryFarmers Market Grant success



Farmers Market Grant success

Author: Deborah Stumbo

Planning Unit: Pike County CES

Major Program: Local Food Systems

Plan of Work: Commercial Horticulture & Small Farm Development

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

Pikeville Farmers Market completed a 4-year capacity building grant.  Summaries were recently filed showing a huge success.  In the last 4 years, the market has provided or taken our farmers to more than 60 trainings and workshops.  A few of the trainings provided have been Produce Best Practices Training, Grant Writing, How to build Cool bots, Marketing online, Small Business trainings, High tunnels, using Facebook to sell, Small Farms Conference, Blueberry Production, Record Keeping, Commercial Growing of Vegetables, Grafting & Pruning, Making Displays and Selling at the FM, Media training, Safe use of pesticides, Lean Farmer, Tomato Grafting, All samples training, Maple Syrup production, Conflict Resolution, Mobile Processing, Mushroom Production, Disease Management, Sales for Crafters, 3 Cow Marketing, Using Social Media, Cold Frames, Grant Writing for High Tunnels, Selling at the FM, Winter Production, Market Ready Training, Small Scale Producer Training, Record Keeping & Trace back, Healthier eating, D1 Fruit Training Series, Food Safety and many others.  In the period of the grant 330 farmers were reached through trainings and services.  First year income at the FM Pavilion was $66,283 and was built up to $186,315 just prior to Covid.  Even with the Covid restriction, the market managed to take in $86,482.  Market build up a clientele of 14,069 people prior to Covid and even managed to bring in 5,693 people in 2020.  With 94%of farmers report an increase in income.  * brick and mortar stores" developed from selling at the Farmers Market.  Farmers attained $48,300 in grant money for production expansion.  The Farmacy Rx program records showed  that 94% of their participants lowered their Blood Pressure, 96%lost weight, and 100% indicated that they learned better recipes and habits for healthier lives.






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