Whitley County Farmer’s Market to hire market manager

In an effort to expand its reach and better serve its members, the Whitley County Farmer’s Market Board of Directors is planning to hire a market manager for its upcoming season.

Sandi Curd, chairman of the Whitley County Farmer’s Market Board of Directors, said Tuesday that applications are now being taken for the position.

“Part of their responsibility will be to promote the market and recruit additional vendors and farmers and to help them better take care of their customers,” Curd said.

“We are planning to really beef up our advertising and awareness through social media. Having someone dedicated to doing this should work out really well.”

The move is being made possible, in part, by a $2,500 matching grant from the Community Farm Alliance, a non-profit organization formed in 1985 that’s main goal is to organize and encourage cooperation among rural and urban citizens, through leadership development and grassroots democratic processes, to ensure an essential, prosperous place for family-scale agriculture in our economies and communities.”

Curd said the Whitley County Farmer’s Market has been raising money for its portion of the grant through the sales of t-shirts and other items.

Originally, the Whitley County Farmer’s Market operated only at the UK Extension Service Officer in Goldbug. Last year, it expanded to include locations in Corbin and Williamsburg on different day.

Andy Salmons, Main Street Manager for the city of Corbin, and a participant and organizer of the farmer’s market in Corbin, said the expansion has led to an increase in sales. In 2012, the market had between $15,000 and $20,000 in sales. In 2013, that jumped to $55,000.

The market is often augmented with live music from local talent.

Salmons said the success of the market has been helped by a national trend toward sustainable agriculture and a preference for locally sourced foods.

“We had a really great year,” he said. “There’s a whole movement centered around supporting local agriculture and going back to the farm and knowing where your food is coming from. This is something people want and that people care about.”

Curd said farmer’s market board of directors has set a goal this year of $100,000 in sales. She said it is a goal that is attainable since the market will start four weeks earlier this year and run later into the season.

“Having a person in the position of market manager should help us toward that goal,” she said.

The 2014 Whitley County Farmer’s Market will open in Goldbug on April 26 and is held every Saturday in the same location from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It is held weekly on Tuesday’s in Corbin from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and in Williamsburg on Wednesday’s from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.