Opening Day at NorthSide Farmers' Market

Today is the opening day of NorthSide Farmers' Market. I was asked to help create this market in 2010 by my neighbors, Toni and Dale Norwood.

I chose to accept the challenge of starting a market (most farmers markets fail) because I felt that consumers in our area really want fresh, locally produced food. There are many small market growers in our area; and a farmers' market seemed like a perfect fit to connect growers with consumers.

I chose to ask Jan and Joe to host the market at their business, Galion's K.F.C. because they are community-minded business people. And, it didn't hurt that we are also long-time friends. :)

We named the market NorthSide Farmers' Market. I got busy designing the logo and registering the market with the ODA (Ohio Dept.of Agriculture). The Norwoods contacted vendors. Jan set up an advertising campaign. I ordered signs. By mid-season we had the market up and running.

NorthSide was a success from the beginning for several reasons. We could not ask for a better  location (on a St.Rt. just north of town near the Rt. 30 ramp); our hosts at KFC work to promote the market; area media (Galion Inquirer, GalionLive) gave it a lot of coverage; we have great vendors who are passionate about their products; and wonderful, loyal customers who shop the market every week and tell their friends about it.

Today we will have about 8 vendors. By peak season, we will have around 20 vendors. In some circles, these numbers may sound lame, but for a small town that is surrounded by farms and where many citizens have their own vegetable gardens, the success of NorthSide is impressive.

At least to us :)

Here's the thing. None of us really knew how to start a market. We simply wanted one. We did the research and with the help of ODA we dove right in. We dove in knowing that it might fail. But, hey, it may succeed. There was no way of knowing until we tried it.

Today's picture was taken last year by Dale Norwood (who is also an awesome photographer!). There may not be real pots of gold at the rainbow's ends, no one is going to get rich from setting up at the market, but this market is golden to us because it represents what can happen when a community works together to have things that it wants.

What would you like to see happen in your community? How can you help make it happen? Are you brave enough to fail?

Marcheta *home of the brave