It’s been two weeks since the market ended, but it almost feels like months since we were last together.
The view of the market coming out of the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve from the Pavilion.
By Kat Peters, Market Manager
It’s been two weeks since the market ended, but it almost feels like months since we were last together. As we approach Thanksgiving next week, as the market manager at Coffee Creek Farmers Market I’m thankful for a lot of things from this past season.
A community feel at the market
I know that I’m grateful for this, and I have heard from a lot of others, too. When you stop by the info tent to thank us for being there on Wednesday afternoons, or when folks stick around and chat with each other or with the vendors, I know that the community aspect of the farmers market is really working. Where else can you find your friends on a weekly basis and enjoy the weather while doing a necessary household errand (grocery shopping!).
I have heard customers listen to vendors talk about their business and family, vendors call out customers by name and ask about their relatives, vendors help each other with ideas and tent set-up and tear-down. I wrote another blog post on this topic if you’d like to read more.
Enjoying a nice day at the market.
Good weather days (and your commitment on bad weather days!)
OK, let’s be honest. We’re a rain or shine market, but we are very thankful when the weather is good! There were a few weeks in there when we thought that we were cursed by the market gods, but on the whole we actually got pretty great weather this season! Particularly toward the end, the sunshine and mild temps were just so pleasant!
Thank you to those who didn’t flinch when things got wet or windy, and came out to purchase your groceries anyway! You know you can count on us to be there, rain or shine, and it really does mean the world when you make it worth it to the local businesses that depend on the market for their regular income.
Overall, I'm thankful to be in such a great location, close to nature at the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve.
I mean, what's not to love?
No injuries
As I prepared for the season back in February and March, I purchased a first aid kit for the market. I remember thinking that it needed to be robust enough to deal with a serious accident, but I didn’t want to go overboard, either. I also prepared safety checklists and learned about tent weights, heat exhaustion, and other potential risks at a farmers market.
Fortunately, our preparation and attention helped (and we were just blessed), and I never had to crack open the first aid kit! Way to go everyone! We want to keep things this way – everyone happy and healthy at the market.
By the way, as the market season moved into its second half, I kept wanting to crow that we hadn’t had any injuries, but I held off so as to not jinx it. Now I can shout from the rooftops!
Didn't use it.
Our sponsors
We are incredibly grateful for our sponsors, each and every year. Sponsorships allow us to keep vendor fees below those of other markets in our area, while still providing a place for local producers to meet customers. With the help of sponsors we can pay rent and do advertising, hold small fun events at the market, sell our tote bags below cost, and provide little goodies now and then.
Sponsorships are a great way for your business to demonstrate support for the local food system, and to connect with folks who care about the quality of the products they purchase. If you’d like to sponsor the market in 2023, check out our Sponsorship Menu here.
Thank you, sponsors!
Our customers
Yes, YOU! I’ve been mentioning you throughout this post, but I mean it. The market would not exist without you, and we’re so glad to see you each and every week. I know that the vendors prepare their products each week with you in mind. Small business owners put their hearts and bank accounts on the line when they bring their creativity and hard work to the market, and getting positive feedback and support from customers is both economically and emotionally rewarding.
So thank you for being an integral part of the local food system and keeping it going, week in and week out!
Happy Thanksgiving from the Coffee Creek Farmers Market! Stay tuned for confirmation about our 2023 season. You can join our email list to be sure that you get all of the latest updates by subscribing to our list using the form at the bottom of our website. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, too!