The Steering Committee has met twice to work on plans for the season.

Andrew Conner (DTH), Charlotte Smith(Appleseed Farm/Pour-a-Pie), Luke Anderson,Cathy Cloud (Johnson Branch), Candace Hack (White Violet Center), and Jim Luzar (Purdue Extension) and Andrea Lau (L&A Family Farm) make up the committee.

We will have a paid Market Master this year, and expect to have that person identified and hired in the next few weeks.

We'll have THREE meetings for call-out, recruitment, and vendor info:

The first is on Saturday, April 25 at 8 am, at Clabber Girl in the Bake Shop.

Then at the Vigo County Public Library at noon on Monday, April 27 and at 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 pm.

New (or veteran) vendors need attend only one meeting.

I've begun booking musical entertainment/performances for the market. Those have been popular in the past, but infrequent. Our goal is to have music every week. If you have a name to suggest, or want tovolunteer - give me call or drop an e-mail.

Our market will move another step toward being "producer only" this year. Our focus has been on providing produce grown by our own vendors - so that customers can keep a close connection to their food source - but we have allowed limited re-sale. The intention was to satisfy customer expectations for in-season produce that our own growers didn't happen to have.

This year - we will further restrict resale, by requiring that every item have a standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch laminated sign (provided by the market) to prominently identify the produce as resale - along with the name and location of the grower. Vendors will have ask the Market Master a week in advance, and any self-grown produce offered by a vendor will be given first priority before we allow the re-sale item to be brought to the market.

Recruiting new vendors for 2009

INFORMATION MEETINGS - For both new and veteran vendors

Saturday, April 25th: 8am-9am. At the Clabber Girl Bake Shop (9th & Wabash)

Monday, April 27th: Noon -1pm Vigo County Public Library - lower level
Thursday April 30th: 7:30-8:30 pm Vigo County Public Library - lower level

(You only need to attend one meeting. )

New vendors are welcome - I have inquiry/applications from about 10 new folks so far- and I would like to see our weekly numbers above 20 vendors per week. We'll be making the publicity push over the next couple of weeks - newspaper, TV, radio, newsletters, etc.

We're moving more toward a "growers only" market - meaning less resale. We haven't had a lot in the past, but we want to be clear about the goal of the market - and that will help encourage local growers to take the risk on some new crops - knowing that they will be protected against re-sellers. This is fundamental to the character of our market - and something that is important to our customers/supporters.

I've had several suggestions that we could grow the size of the market if we added some "rummage and crafts" to the mix - but that is a quick slide toward becoming a flea market - which would not fir with our vision of a high-quality, local produce market.

But we do want to draw more customers. And more vendors. I think it is a circular dynamic - and growing either one will increase the other. So we are working on both: Recruiting more vendors - telling what we need, and explaining how it can be profitable, fun, and fulfilling. Amnd also drawing more customers through better and increased marketing, and giving them more reasons to come to the market. (More on attracting customers in another post.)

Vendors:

Here's what we want and need: Fruit of all sorts, lettuces, breads, nuts, beans (dry), any unusual or exotic vegetables, heirloom varieties of anything, plants, honey, potatoes, lima beans, egg plant, okra, cabbage, mushrooms, garlic, onions, kohlrabi, gooseberries, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, brussel sprouts, asparagus, parsnips, horseradish, collard greens, chard, bok choi, parsnips, asparagus, rhubarb, gooseberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, raspberries, elderberries, persimmons, pawpaws, perennials, cut flowers, okra, lima beans, face painting and henna, fiber artists/crafts, jewelry, art, teas, melons-melons-melons, kale, leeks, sweet potatoes, beets, spinach, daikon, herbs, live flowers, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, cheese.

We usually have cookies, tomatoes, corn, green beans, zucchini, squash, lettuce, eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, peppers, and pumpkins - but that doesn't mean that the market wouldn't support more - especially some unusual varieties!

First post

Getting ready for the 2009 season.

Attended a Market Master Boot Camp in Indy last week - lots of great ideas and resources. I think an IN Farmers Market Association will be formed this year.

While there, I found out about an IN grant through the Dept. of Ag that should give us $500 matching funds toward marketing expenses. We plan to add yard signs, TV and radio ads, a brochure/flyer and refrigerator magnets this year, as well as street banners, t-shirts, and re-usable shopping bags.

There is another grant that may help us buy the equipment to accept "Food Stamps" electronically at the Market. We might end up sharing a machine with the White Violet Center.