Planting the seeds
MARKET SEEKS FARMERS FOR COMMUNITY-BUILDING ADVENTURE
One look at my backyard container garden proves I was not born with a green thumb. With little luck growing my own food, I planned a trip to the Jacksonville Farmers Market. But first, I called Megan Vandergriff, facilities and programs administrator for the Jacksonville Parks and Recreation Department.
She told me that — much like my marigolds — the farmers market has had difficulty taking root.
“We’re hoping to build that back up this season, but so far, it’s been a slow process,” she said. “We’re at a crossroads right now as far as farmers are concerned. They’re either all booked up in the area for different markets, … or they just don’t have enough products.”
Although the Jacksonville Farmers Market has operated inconsistently for the past few years, she said, she hopes it can grow to showcase area farmers by providing a place where they can sell and network. All goods sold at the market are made or grown locally, she added.
The market is open from 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays and from 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays, May through October. Vendors can purchase a $25 permit to sell all season, and so far, Vandergriff said, she has sold about five permits.
However, she had high hopes for the first Market Madness event June 25. Taking place the fourth Tuesday of each month, Market Madness allows vendors to sell without permits. I said I would meet her there.
Vandergriff was smiling when I arrived. The event brought in 12 vendors, including one farmer.
“We’ve got a farmer, which is what we wanted,” she said. “I’m hoping they’ll spread the word to their craft and farm vendors, and it will grow.”
An energetic man with a chest-length beard, John Martineau of Rosehill Homestead in Romance, spoke with me from behind several bags of cucumbers and a freezer filled with chicken. His squash and tomatoes are coming along, he said, and the watermelons should be ready by Labor Day.
I asked what makes a great farmers market.
“It has to be fun,” he said, adding that he had left markets that were overly focused on sales or allowed farmers to sell produce they did not grow. “Those are two big things for me — it’s got to be fun, and it’s got to be producer-driven.”
He added that he was recruited by Randi Romero of Randi’s Cakes and Cupcakes, who stood in the next booth. Based in Ward, Romero said, she began attending more events in Jacksonville after joining the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
Across the pavilion, Courtney Dunn, executive director of the Jacksonville Chamber, loaded her booth with vintage T-shirts from Wing Dings, a precursor to FestiVille.
“I think it’s exciting, and I think it’s needed,” she said of the market. “It brings the community together, just
having everybody come out to one place at one time, so I think it’s definitely a positive atmosphere, and I hope more people come out.”
There was no shortage of variety during Market Madness. Kevin Randall, manager of the local Cricket Wireless store, offered bottled water, giveaway items and promotional flyers nearby, and Tonia Rollins represented LeafFilter with a working model of water flowing down a roof.
Local author Deborah Wagener, who conducts a prison ministry through Write the Vision and Mission Jacksonville, set up a display of books and birdhouses. She said it was her first time to vend at the market.
“We need this,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for local businesses and small businesses to get some business.”
Brianna Garcia chased her toddler around a booth covered in faux-leather bows and key chains by Officially Crafty. Garcia’s mother runs the business out of Illinois, she said, adding that she started selling locally when her husband was stationed at the Little Rock Air Force Base.
At the Arkansas Chalkboard Creations booth, Ali Fernandez chatted with Kee Werdehausen of Synago Soap about Jacksonville’s military culture. They said both of their husbands are affiliated with the base. Fernandez’s booth was covered in colorful signs, many depicting military aircraft.
“I like coming to Jacksonville to promote my stuff here because I am a mil spouse,” she said. “I like being close to the base, just so people know, like, if I have a C-130, they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, I want that.’”
Werdehausen’s booth was equally colorful and refreshingly fragrant. Chemistry sparked her interest in making soap, she said, before whipping out some diagrams to explain the unique structure of soap molecules.
At the next booth, Joshua Hastings told me he left the Air Force to start his woodworking company, Life of Sawdust. Several wooden American flags paid homage to his military background. Although he had the opportunity to leave Jacksonville, he said he stayed to help make the community a better place. He added that he plans to attend more local events like Market Madness.
“It’s a good start, and it could be better. I think there just needs to be more people come out of the woodwork,” he said. “I’ve been texting my Air Force buddies like, ‘Hey, come out!’”
Customers flowed in and out of the pavilion throughout the evening. The ones I spoke with seemed put out by the lack of produce. Sue Cheatham, who came hoping to pick up ingredients for dinner, said she would like to see farmers at the market regularly so she would not have to drive to markets in Little Rock.
William Marlow of Jacksonville said rainy weather conditions this spring might have prevented some farmers from participating. Although he was a little disappointed that there were few fruits and vegetables, he said the homemade goods add value to the event.
Curious about how the market could attract more farmers, I returned to the Rosehill Homestead booth.
“Farmers and customers — that’s the key,” Martineau said. “If you don’t have farmers, you don’t have customers. If you don’t have customers, you don’t have farmers.”
It is a hard formula to crack, he said, adding that every farmers market goes through cycles of participation. With competition from several local markets, he said, the Jacksonville Farmers Market must “beat the line” to pull in farmers.
“Just keep asking,” he added. “Someday, the right [ farmer] will show up; then people will follow that one.”
Food trucks help markets grow by bringing in an established customer base, he said, so I followed the smell of barbecue and the sound of Beatles music to the Boss Hawg BBQ food truck.
“I generally come out to these events to try to help boost them, support them in any way I can and get it built up,” said Ester Jackson, owner. “I’m here to provide a service, and I hope — just like all the other vendors who are here providing a service — that people come out and support their neighborhood business people.”
I circled back to Jim McFerrin of Sacred Intentions Jewelry & Designs, whom I first saw perched on a ledge, reading the Bible. He and his wife started making rosaries and prayer beads when they moved to the area three years ago, he said, and the business has expanded to include tumblers, T-shirts and various custom items.
He said he believes it is important to have a market in Jacksonville.
“As far back as ancient Greece and ancient Rome, the marketplace has always been the place where not only goods are exchanged, but ideas, culture and friendship,” he said. “When those things go, your culture and community, your ability to live in peace with one another go as well.”
To learn more, visit Jacksonville AR Farmer’s Market on Facebook. I checked the page a few days after the event to see several supportive comments from vendors. It looks like there will be some familiar faces at the next Market Madness event July 23.