Tuesday Market: An integrated management approach leverages a small farmers market for synergistic community benefits
Agricultural Economics & Community Development
Iris Mayes
Extension Educator Horticulture & Small Farms
Moscow
Abstract
Beginning farmers who wish to engage in direct-to-consumer sales may need scale-appropriate opportunities to increase their product volume, and develop sales and marketing skills. A small mid-week farmers market in Moscow, ID, the Tuesday Market has been identified as an important community asset. With support from a citizen advisory committee and utilizing UI Extension paid staff, interns and volunteer help, UI Extension adopted the coordination of the Tuesday Market. Coordinating activities have included recruiting and managing vendors and musicians, posting on social media, placing signs and posters around town, setting up tables and chairs and running the market. The market has also regularly hosted a youth activity with the help of AmeriCorps Service Members, interns and the local high school environmental club. The market has increased profits for farmers, functions as a fresh food access point as well as a small business incubator, provides hands-on learning opportunities for small farmers, other vendors and for student interns who help run the market. Three beginning farmer vendors in 2021 were U.S. Military Veterans. Interns helped collect sales data and count customers at the market. Over a four-year period, beginning 2018, the market expanded in terms of dollars spent (from $2,741 to $16,936 per season), increased the number of customers (from 45 to 58 average) and increased the number of weekly vendors (from 9 to 12). In a 2021 customer survey all respondents expressed gratitude for the opportunity to safely socialize outside. In 2022, the market was awarded a $250,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) grant to fund new marketing activities for the Tuesday Market including advertising, value-added food research and training, and development of an online farmers market. The goal of the grant is to increase the number of customers and profits for farmers.
Authors: Iris Mayes
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Iris Mayes Extension Educator Horticulture & Small Farms, University of Idaho Extension, Idaho, 83843