The Jamestown Public Market will be using a new online management tool to provide a more organized 2019 season
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In 2018 Farmspread partnered with the Farmers’ Market Coalition (FMC) to help farmers’ markets celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week, annually the second week of August. FMC’s campaign provided more than 8,600 farmers’ markets nationwide with tools, guides and materials used to promote events at their markets during the weeklong celebration. As part of this campaign, Farmspread and FMC created a NFMW directory to highlight farmers’ markets around the country.
During this celebration event, the Jamestown Public Market was selected as the winner of the Farmers’ Market Coalition’s National Farmers Market Week Contest.
The Farmers’ Market Coalition, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is “dedicated to strengthening farmers’ markets across the United States so that they can serve as community assets while providing
real income opportunities for farmers”. A member of the coalition, the Jamestown Public Market has access to resources that help improve market programs, including curriculum ideas that provide the basis for the market’s SPROUTs Club.
To win, the Jamestown Public Market had to claim a profile on Farmspread by registering on the National Farmers Market Week directory; over 205 markets were represented on the directory, with representation from over 39 states. As a winner, the market has received free access to FarmSpread, a newly established marketplace platform supporting a community of farmers, local food vendors, market managers and consumers by providing a wide range of tools to help cultivate and scale alternative food distribution and consumer access.
Features the Jamestown Public Market will have access to include a fully configurable online vendor application, auto invoicing to vendors for market fees, publicly searchable profile, and the ability to invite vendors to sell at the market, accept credit/check payments, and view a market map online.
“This is exciting for the market for two reasons”, explains Public Market Manager Linnea Carlson. “First, the Jamestown Public Market has received national attention due to this contest. We are thankful to the Farmers Market Coalition for their ongoing support of farmers markets, and the advocacy they provide on issues that affect agricultural communities in our country. Second, we get to be a part of this innovative platform that is helping bring farmers’ markets into the 21st century. We are thrilled to partner with Farmspread for the 2019 season so our vendors have an easier communication process and consumers can find more information on what is available.”
Farmspread provides tools to help manage, promote and sell farm fresh food and artisan products while connecting consumers with farm direct food outlets. Whether you manage a farmers’ market, are a direct food vendor, or operate a CSA, they can help you manage your business and connect you to customers. Farmspread also directly connect farmers and local food vendors to communities of buyers, using technology to scale the age old relationship between local producers and consumers and to reinvest in the power of local communities.
Farmers and local vendors interested in participating in the 2019 Jamestown Public Market season can visit www.farmspread.org to apply (creating a vendor profile is free of cost) or www.jamestownrenaissance.org. For more information on National Farmers Market Week and issues affecting the agricultural community visit www.farmersmarketcoalition.org.