Knox County Farmers Market

A Community Comes Together and Farmers and Consumers Benefit

In 2014, a group of producers and community members in Knox County came together to consider how to provide a market place that would both increase local food sales for farmers in the area and connect farmers, consumers, and the community generally. The Knox County Farmers Market emerged to provide an opportunity for producers, community members, and local organizations to give the residents of Barbourville and the surrounding area a place to visit and purchase locally raised produce, along with a place for the community to gather.

"Prior to 2014, there were had been some attempts at developing a market," explained Kathryn Engle, Grants Coordinator for the Knox County Farmers Market. "In May of 2014, myself, representatives from Union College, the local health department, and others in the community saw the need for a market and a place where community members could join together to learn and network, we began some conversations that took off."

In 2015, the Knox County Farmers Market received a Local Food, Local Places grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). This grant allowed the market to develop and implement an action plan on how to get the community involved in the market and offer events, demonstrations, and educational outreach at the farmers market.

"Through the Local Food Local Places Initiative and Union College's involvement, the Knox County Market has brought together the whole community, not just producers, to advance local food in their county," explained Myrisa Christy, Project Director at the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD). "This is a very community-involved, grassroots farmers market, which helps it be successful and create more interest in farmers markets in the region."

As the market continued to grow, the Knox County Farmers Market board of directors saw a need to reach low-income and elderly populations. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit redemption began at the market in 2015, with the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs beginning the following year. Also in 2016, the market joined the Community Farm Alliance Double Dollars program, which enabled the market to reach more of these populations. The Knox County Farmers Market continues toaccept and double SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP vouchers through the Kentucky Double Dollars program.

"We are an entirely volunteer-run market," stated Kathryn. "We have a dedicated board of directors, comprised of farmers and community members, who contribute a lot of time to making the market successful."

The Knox County Farmers Market came to the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) in spring of 2014 to assist with incorporation, and later marketing assistance. In 2016, Knox County Farmers Market worked with KCARD to see if the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) would be beneficial to the market.

"KCARD has worked with us from the beginning," explained Kathryn. "We first reached out to KCARD when we were incorporating, since they have experience with the incorporation of farmers markets."

"While the market did not go forward with the FMPP grant, the process of thinking about marketing activities and the future of the market was beneficial to the continued growth of the Knox County Farmers Market," explained Aaron Shapiro, KCARD Grant Facilitator.

The Knox County Farmers Market will continue to work with KCARD and also assist with connecting producers with KCARD for assistance on business and marketing planning.

"KCARD has been a great asset to us as we continue to develop the market," said Kathryn. "It is great to have an organization who can help our producers and the market develop business and marketing plans. KCARD has also been able to serve as a translator between local and state organizations, who can often use language that seems opaque and intimidating."

The Knox County Farmers Market continues to grow. Thanks to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Knox County, they will be able to grow under a new pavilion at the Extension Office.

"We have made substantial progress over the last few years, and want to continue to be able to provide a platform for producers and consumers to come together," stated Kathryn. "The new pavilion will allow us to continue to provide a platform rain or shine, for customers and farmers can come together."

In addition to the pavilion, the market continues to grow the educational component of the market through partnerships with the UK Cooperative Extension Service, the local health department and hospitals to provide health and nutrition education to its customers. Also, the Extension Service continues to assist producers in navigating Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and production related questions.

The Knox County Farmers Market also travels around the county and region offering information about the market and outreach about connecting local food to the community through their mobile market trailer.

"There has been a growing interest in local foods and farmers markets in Eastern Kentucky," explained Kathryn. "Throughout the development of the market, we have met and collaborated with several other markets in the area who are doing some great things to help build up the Eastern Kentucky local food system."

The Knox County Farmers Market is open on Thursday from 5pm to 8pm at the Knox County Cooperative Extension Office on Truehaft Blvd. in Barbourville, KY. The season opens in the beginning of May and runs through the end of September each year.

Keep up with all the activities and learn more about products at the market by "Liking" the Knox County Farmers Market on Facebook or visit their website at www.knoxcountymarket.com.