Welcome to the Winter Market
The enclosed market building was filled with tables of goodies. Photo by PJ Martin
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Farmers Market kicked off the winter market season on Friday, October 14th in the new enclosed market building which is the original farmer’s market location next door to the newer larger pavilion at 422 East Street in Edmonton.
The older market building has been remodeled as Phase II of the grant project, which began in late 2018 when County FCS agent Lynn Blankenship successfully applied for a grant from KADF. The Metcalfe County Farmers Market was awarded the amount of $200,000 for the two-phase project of building the much larger farmer’s market pavilion and remodeling the old pavilion into a winter market location. The grant was matched by the Extension Services and plans were set into motion.
As with everything else, the project came to a screeching halt for a while, because of Covid, but the larger pavilion finally held an official ribbon cutting on May 21, 2021.
Metcalfe County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education Lynn Blankenship had this to say about the market.
“It’s an honor for me to be able to seek grant funds in support of Community and Economic Development projects in Metcalfe County on behalf of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Starting and developing the Metcalfe Farmers Market, with my co-Agent Brandon Bell, our dedicated volunteers, and local producers has been among my favorite work project since inception, in 2008.
This expansion project, initiated in late 2018 with the grant application, has been through many extensions, due to complications occurring during the unanticipated pandemic. I am grateful that we have been able to see it through to successful completion.”
Blankenship is also responsible for overseeing the WIC, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition voucher program, and SNAP debit benefits acceptance program. She explained, “It was always designed to be an affordable and accessible Farmers Market, in hopes of increasing local consumption of fresh fruits and veggies. It has been the foundation of building a sustainable local food system in Metcalfe County.”
The winter farmer’s market will run through December and is open each Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with many of the familiar vendors from the summer market.
You can view market dates and other information about the Metcalfe County Farmer’s Market at https://www.facebook.com/metcalfefarmersmarket.
You can email the Market Manager at Metcalfecountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com
A bounty of tomatoes at one table in the winter market. Photo Facebook / Vickie Harris
Many of the same great vendors are at the winter market. Photo by PJ Martin
