For those of us that, time and again, take a stroll downtown to the park on Saturday mornings to browse the Forsyth Park Farmers Market, it would be unlikely that anyone would guess that the market has been there as long as it has.
The next thing you know, it has been a decade. Ten solid years of setting up shop in Forsyth Park near the intersection of Bull Street and Park Avenue giving regional farmers a spot to offer the fruits and vegetables of their labor to locals and tourists alike. That’s the shiny object in the window that gets everyone’s attention.
Beyond that, I am guessing you probably didn’t know that the Forsyth Farmer’s Market applied for and was awarded a grant that allowed them to purchase a food truck. That food truck doesn’t park downtown on weekend nights slinging burritos, no. Farm Truck 912 is tasked with taking healthy foods into previously determined ‘food deserts’ in our community. Area’s where residents just plain and simply do not have access to, for example, fresh grown produce or grass fed beef. They’ve been doing that for close to 5 years.
Full disclosure: I am a member of the Board of Directors at the market. Have been for just over a year. Clearly, I’ve had something of a front row seat. From there, I’ve watched all of the time, effort, passion and dedication go into making the market the success that it is.
There are rules, you know. You can’t just pull up in a truck one day and start selling rutabagas. There’s a selection process. A rather meticulous selection process that balances the numbers of vendors and the items that they offer for sale. Farmer’s Market by laws state that any vendor must produce at least 75% of what they are selling. It’s why you will never see the market turn into a weekly arts and crafts fair. The Forsyth Park Farmers Market was created for the farmers. It has been for the last decade and will continue to be for the next.
You also probably don’t know that there is a major fundraising campaign going on right now. As you read this. The market’s annual “Friendsgiving” campaign is one of the largest efforts of the year. How do we execute that? Very simply actually. We throw a bunch of parties.
Over the next 2-3 weeks there are gatherings going on at private homes all over town. Fundraising parties where a host opens their home to a group of guests. The host provides food, drink and good cheer and the guests offer a donation. 100% of which goes toward the Forsyth Farmers Market annual fund. The last few years, it has been incredibly successful with each party raising a minimum of $1,000. Do that 10-12 times and you are talking some serious fundraising. All while having a good time. This year we are adding to that list of parties by having a very big one and inviting you as well as anyone you know.
See you on TV
Jesse
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