NORWICH – With summer months right around the corner, coordinators for the Chenango County Farmers Market are preparing for a big year with big changes in hopes of making the traditional park fixture more outstanding than ever.
When the Farmers Market first opens in June, plans are to appeal to a broader demographic by incorporating more vendors and local products.
“It’s definitely going to be better this year than last year,” said Ken Walbrecht, president.
One factor making this year so much different, said Walbrecht, is the introduction of a new Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) machine, which will be provided through grant funding thanks to a partnership between the Farmers Market and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County. The EBT machine will allow for lower-income families and individuals who receive assistance to get produce from the Farmers Market, benefitting not only patrons themselves, but also the merchants who are selling their products, Walbrecht said.
With the incorporation of an EBT machine this year, the Farmers Market has also sparked more interest from local vendors, allowing the board of the Farmers Market to reach out to sellers who have never been to the Farmers Market before, explained Charlotte Walbrecht, the group’s marketing coordinator.
“We’ve been getting a lot more interest and we are able to recruit a lot more,” she added. “We want to make our market a broader range of products. We want to diversify and get things not available in the past.”
Thus far, the Farmers Market has been able to do just that. Already, several new vendors have committed to attending the market this summer. The Walbrechts are in the process of recruiting local cheese makers, florists, bakers and brewers in an attempt to “take the market from good to better,” said Charlotte Walbrecht.
The Farmers Market also has a strong backing of the Chenango County Agricultural Development Council and the Norwich Business Improvement District this year, which is making the recruitment process and marketing for the event more manageable, the Walbrechts explained.
Moreover, for the first time, the Farmers Market will be given its own permanent spot in West Park during the 18th Annual Colorscape Arts Festival in September.
In addition to seeking new vendors and appealing to a broader populace, board members of the Farmers Market are presently searching for people who are willing to share their talents by performing during the market’s open hours on Saturdays.
“This could be an individual singer or entertainer, local band, folk singers, puppet shows, school children playing an instrument or a school band,” said Charlotte Walbrecht. “This would help our market and it would also get a local artist the chance to share their talent.”
“People can live in this area for a long time and still not know much about the Farmers Market. We’re hoping that this year, we can draw the attention of some of those people.”
The Farmers Market will open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday beginning June 2 at East Park in Norwich. Vendors interested in attending the events should contact Ken and Charlotte Walbrecht at 334-8310.