Farmers market season is quick approaching. Throughout Nebraska, farmers markets have change into integral to the economies and social cloth of dozens of rural communities. To assist create extra profitable markets, Purchase Recent Purchase Native Nebraska has revealed the Nebraska Rural Farmers Market Handbook.
The handbook grew out of conversations about frequent farmers market points, stated Ben Jewell, a Rural Prosperity Nebraska extension educator and co-leader for the Nebraska Regional Meals Programs Initiative.
“We performed near 50 interviews with market managers throughout the state and used these insights to boost the content material within the handbook and supply a complete useful resource that solutions questions and gives artistic concepts for addressing frequent challenges,” he stated.
Compiled in collaboration with the Heart for Rural Affairs, Northeast Iowa Useful resource Conservation and Growth, and U.S. Division of Agriculture, the handbook breaks down each broad strokes and nice particulars for market managers — most of whom, in Nebraska, are volunteers — outlining vendor recruitment, advertising and marketing concepts, format examples, insurance coverage and legal responsibility issues, fundraising guides and pattern handouts.
“I hope that whoever picks up this handbook will take residence some helpful suggestions that they’ll implement and be impressed by all of the community-led efforts which are highlighted,” stated Margaret Milligan, program coordinator for Purchase Recent Purchase Native Nebraska.
For example these greatest practices, the handbook makes use of concrete examples from Nebraska markets. For instance, the Hastings market works with the Hasting Arts Council to recruit native musicians to play throughout market nights. Lincoln’s Fallbrook market determines vendor charges based mostly on what they’re promoting, whereas the Wahoo market determines charges based mostly on kind of contract. And the Sutton market holds a breakfast and lunch fundraiser.
“In Nebraska there was a 154% enhance within the variety of markets between 2000 and 2020,” bringing the full to 93, Jewell stated.
“Markets have additionally change into extra refined,” he stated. “Many markets now have credit score/debit card readers onsite, in addition to a rising quantity that may settle for SNAP/EBT advantages.”
With such a fast rise in numbers and expertise, one of many handbook’s objectives is to create consistency in how Nebraska markets function, making it simpler for farmers and distributors to promote at a number of markets.
“Each vendor at a market is a small enterprise,” Milligan stated. “This impacts communities by offering revenue to the homeowners, rising employment and preserving {dollars} inside the native area.”
This dynamic helps recirculate cash inside communities. For each $1 million in income made by farms promoting domestically, they create nearly 32 native jobs, in comparison with 10.5 jobs created by wholesale suppliers, Jewell stated.
Along with the financial positive aspects, the handbook begins with “A Rise, a Fall, a Renaissance,” a bit overlaying the evolution of farmers markets from vegetable stand to social hub. At present they embrace arts and craft distributors, meals vehicles, stay music and toys.
“Farmers markets are an vital a part of the social and cultural cloth of a group,” Jewell stated.
Milligan stated: “Farmers markets are group areas that supply an intergenerational approach to socialize and create cohesive, robust relationships. At a farmers market, you strike up conversations, hearken to music, train your children about greens, be outdoors and say hey to extra individuals.”
A free digital copy of the Nebraska Rural Farmers Market Handbook is out there right here.