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Collage of fresh produce and a vendor booth from Market on Main. Photos courtesy of Stuart Main Street.
August 7-13, 2022 is National Farmers Market Week! From farm-fresh veggies to artisanal delicacies, in communities of all sizes, farmers markets are beloved across the country. Many Main Street programs host farmers markets in their districts to bring in revenue, connect with local businesses, reduce food deserts, and increase foot traffic. We spoke to Main Street directors about their farmers markets to understand the myriad of ways that their markets connect with the Four Points and transform their Main Streets.
Economic Vitality
Farmers markets can be powerful economic engines. They serve as excellent opportunities to introduce customers to a wide range of products in a more casual setting where they can ask questions, sample items, and get to know business owners. Farmers markets are also an opportunity to bring in merchants and producers from outside the district and engage them in your entrepreneurial ecosystem. Once you build those relationships, you can explore other opportunities like brick-and-mortar stores, pop-ups, and placing products in existing Main Street shops.
Center City of Amarillo in Texas opened their market, the Amarillo Community Market, at the behest of the city seven years ago. It has since grown to more than fifty vendors. “Amarillo Community Market is a community celebration plus economic development,” said Executive Director Beth Duke. “Several of our vendors now have storefronts, e-commerce stores, and regular customers year-round.” The vendors receive a huge economic benefit from their participation. One vendor who regularly drives 48 miles each weekend to sell his fresh beef and produce credits the market with the growth of his business, saying that it is helping him work toward his goal of opening his own storefront in the future.
Main Street Steamboat Springs in Colorado originally began their market as a promotional event to bring people downtown, but after nine successful years, their new executive director Lisa Popovich was tasked with turning the market into an income-generating program. The organization faced a significant challenge: how to grow their market presence without taking business away from the brick-and-mortar establishments in the district.
“We did this by carefully curating the vendors at the market,” said Popovich. “We aggressively recruited food and food-related vendors and over the years, have incubated many businesses that now have brick and mortar locations, many in our downtown.” They also limited the types of items that could be sold in the market, so they were not in direct competition with downtown retailers, and they gave downtown businesses priority access if they wanted to join the market.
In addition to creating or strengthening a Main Street’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, markets can also be significant revenue-generators for Main Street programs. Stuart Main Street took over the city’s market in 2021 and, despite initial challenges, have been able to bring in significant income for their program. McMinnville Downtown Association’s Farmers Market provides 25% of their annual income. This revenue provides Main Street programs with the flexibility to fund other innovative programs to support their districts.
Design
As any Main Streeter knows, location is key for business success, and no location is better than a Main Street district! Using the historic, natural, and community design features of your community is a great way to enhance the market experience and highlight the beauty of your district. Stuart Main Street’s Market on Main is held in Flagler Park. “The park is beautiful and sits along the St. Lucie River running parallel with our downtown's Riverwalk,” said Executive Director Candace Callahan. “The park not only offers a perfect view of the water but also offers lots of shade from our many tall palm and banyan trees. There are public restrooms, a playground for children, and several pavilions and gazebos to give everyone a place to sit and enjoy.”
If the historic layout of your district is not suitable for a farmers market, expanding into a dedicated facility can be a good solution. Winnsboro Main Street in Texas originally hosted their program on Market Street, but as they took on new vendors, they began to run out of space. In April 2021, they opened four new pavilions near the original location to accommodate their expanding market. They have also added space for food trucks and a community garden, and are considering an expansion of two more pavilions in the near future.
Promotion
Farmers markets offer significant promotional opportunities. Whether you want to highlight the unique products sold in your area, spotlight local business owners, or introduce people to your district, farmers markets are a great way to get the word out and bring people downtown.
Canton Economic Development Corporation’s market in Texas primarily operates as a promotional opportunity for local farmers and businesses. They created fun programs to help showcase the unique products that are sold at the market, like ‘Cream of the Crop.’ “When shoppers fill up their cards, they are put in a drawing for a market bag full of products all donated by the vendors for free,” said Megan Mitchell, Main Street Manager. They also recently hosted a farm-to-table dinner that exclusively featured products from their market. These unique promotions help entice patrons to brave the Texas heat and check out the market and the Main Street.
The Oceanside Morning Farmers Market in Oceanside, California is celebrating their 30th anniversary this week. They have an innovative program to ease the promotional burden while engaging the community. The organization has a strong partnership with the Oceanside High School photography class: students visit the market with specific photography assignments and MainStreet Oceanside uses their photographs in their promotional materials and social media. Through this win-win arrangement, student artists gain valuable experience and opportunities to showcase their talents, and the market’s promotional materials stay fresh and community-driven.
In Wisconsin, the Downtown Racine Corporation farmers market offers an adult twist on the concept: they have an evening market, complete with beer and live music. Although it is a new endeavor, it has already been a huge success. Their first market was so popular that it drew crowds larger than the space could handle! To meet this high demand, they encouraged attendees to explore downtown businesses and dining options as well as exploring the market. In the future, they hope to build on this success and use the market to drive foot traffic throughout the district.
In addition to promoting the downtown district and local businesses, markets are also a great way for organizations to introduce new audiences to their work and the Main Street Movement through personal interactions, media coverage, and accolades. Winnsboro Main Street’s market has received national recognition. “Our Farmers Market here in the 3,300-population town of Winnsboro Texas was ranked 2nd in the state of Texas and 2nd in whole Southwest region in the American Farmland Trust’s 13th Annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration last year,” said Main Street Program Manager Brenda Buck.
Organization
Organizing a farmers market is a large and daunting task, but it can also be an opportunity to engage local business and residents to build a community-driven event. Lisa Popovich at Main Street Steamboat Springs encourages Main Street programs to act with intentionality when they are thinking about opening a market. “Understand your customer and your intention,” said Popovich. “Our intentions changed over the years and the market was able to grow and change with our community. If you are serving your community, listen to what they are saying and find a way to provide what they are looking for.”
Main Street Guymon in Oklahoma believes that a straightforward approach is the most effective. “We try to make it a simple process, with very little paperwork and few rules. It is something that is easy enough a gardener with surplus squash can make it available to sell,” said Director Melyn Johnson.
Partnering with an experienced organization is a smart way for Main Streets to open their own markets. Downtown Racine Corporation partners with Kenosha Harbor Market to open their market, bringing together the two organization’s different sets of expertise. “They had the knowledge of organizing the market, and we did all the marketing, permits, booked bands, and got sponsors,” said Executive Director Kelly Kruse.
Havana Main Street in Florida partnered with local business owner Jennifer Folsom to revive their struggling market. She transformed their program into the Havana Market, which specializes in offering agricultural products and craft goods. Through outreach to local vendors, they identified and secured a better location for the market and have successfully grown it into a thriving program.
So, You’re Interested in Starting a Farmers Market. Now What?
“Farmers Markets are businesses, but they are also community builders,” said Lisa Popovich. She is deeply passionate about her market, and her inbox is open to any Main Streeters who have questions about how to begin their own market. You can contact her at Lisa@Mainstreetsteamboat.com.
“Look at current resources, future potential, create a plan direction and stick with it,” advises Brenda Buck, Main Street Program Manager at Winnsboro Main Street. “It’s sometimes tempting to migrate to something else that might be more popular at the time, or seemingly more attractive, but every ‘veer off the path’ erodes at the quality of the goal and the trust of the consumer.”
Downtown Racine Corporation has just started their farmers market journey, but they are already enthusiastic about it. “Do it!” urges Executive Director Kelly Kruse. “Such an amazing draw to the downtown to help stimulate the economy and truly pumps a lot of revenue to small businesses, as well as creates community pride.”
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INVEST South/West Chicago Reaches Two-year Milestone
Main Street America's partners in Chicago celebrate two years of training and technical assistance in the city.
Chicago, IL © Main Street America
Main Spotlight: Better Community Planning & Economic Development Series with Ed McMahon
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Community Spotlight: Main Street America’s Field Team Gets Back on the Road
After many zoom meetings, our road warriors are back visiting communities and providing technical assistance.
Washington, IA © Kathy La Plante
2020 Year in Review: A Letter to the Network
President and CEO Patrice Frey reflects on 2020 and the early events of 2021.
Florence, SC © True Light Photography
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: First Round Recipient Spotlights
These 67 recipients from across the country ranged from bakeries and boutiques to salons and museums, but they all shared a commitment to the program's goals of responding and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and helping to revitalize and strengthen older and historic downtown commercial districts.
New Research from Brookings and the National Main Street Center on the Value of Main Street Organizations
The Brookings Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking released a new series of research briefs focused on the role that place governance organizations, like Main Street programs, play in revitalizing rural downtowns and promoting equitable rural economic and community development.
Congratulations to the 2020 MSARP Recipients!
Meet the latest graduates of our certificate program for leaders in commercial district revitalization.
Main Spotlight: Developing a Toolbox to Help Manage Growth on Main Street
Georgetown has developed a strong Downtown Master Plan that helps serve as a guide-point for planning efforts in downtown
Announcing the 2020 Mary Means Leadership Award Recipient
Meet Sharon Jablonski, the Director of Morganton Main Street in Morganton, North Carolina, and the first recipient of the Mary Means Leadership Award.
Announcing the 2020 Great American Main Street Award Winners
Congratulations to these Main Street programs for their fantastic work!
Community Spotlight: Missouri Main Street Connection Leads the Iowa Community Expedition
Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) had the opportunity to take Missouri Executive Directors and other community representatives on the Iowa Community Expedition
District Spotlight: Pontiac, Michigan
In response, UrbanMain and Main Street Oakland County joined forces in March 2018 to assist Pontiac stakeholders in putting their downtown organization back on a positive track, making Pontiac the first community in Michigan to participate in the UrbanMain initiative.
2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Winning Sites
American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America announced the winners of the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign.
2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
Announcing the 2017 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
