The idea for a local farmers’ market was born when members of Sustainability Nowata Osage Washington (SNOW) recognized that most of our area’s food came from far away and depended on cheap fossil fuels. Should fuel prices escalate sufficiently, long distance shipment of food might not be feasible. Or how about a prolonged drought in California’s Imperial Valley or other circumstances beyond our control?

We founded a farmers’ market to improve our local food security and to strengthen our local economy. As added benefits, local food could be fresher and more varied than commercial mass-produced varieties, and customers could get to know the people who produce their food.

How do you start a farmers’ market? With a lot of help!

In the beginning, with a lot of help from the Buy Fresh Buy Local network. Fran Stallings attended many meetings, sometimes with one or another of us. We gained lots of information about legalities, insurance and operational guidelines. The network shared lists of names of potential vendors, which we divided up and called.

Annie Piper, an experienced vendor at the Cherry Street and other markets, was one we called, and she provided critical advice and guidance on the duration and hours of the market.

We adopted bylaws and elected officers: President, Fran Stallings; Vice President, Judy Sharpe; Secretary, Deborah Langley; Treasurer, Susan Lauffer; Public Relations, Maureen Forsythe; Communications, Nikki Austin.

We had to decide where to hold the market. The Chamber of Commerce offered Frank Phillips Park, but there were a lot of folks who felt a market had a much better chance on the East Side of town. As it’s turned out, we are delighted to be in the park, which provides a comfortable, shaded location with places for people to sit, and the wide eaves of the adjacent building when the heavens open!

We joined the Chamber, applied for a grant from ConocoPhillips, a business license and later a sign permit from the city of Bartlesville. We also applied for a grant from the OK Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

We talked various friends into becoming members of the market so we had a little operating money. We opened a checking account, established a phone line, agreed on vendor guidelines and Maureen Forsythe began getting articles in the paper about the market, so we could alert potential customers that we would be opening soon. We offered a workshop for potential vendors on how to market their products conducted by Sue Gray from the OSU Extension Office in Tulsa.

In April we received $500 from ConocoPhillips, which enabled us to purchase the market banners and buy insurance, in time for the first market on May 5.

In July we received $2,000 from the OK Dept. of Agriculture which enabled us to do some advertising for additional vendors and customers through the area County Fairs, radio station and newspaper ads.

So, how did we do? We did manage to have a market every week for 26 weeks, despite rain and wind, early morning cold and later, searing heat. Over the season we had 20 vendors, including the “Managers’ Choice” which sold products of our own gardens in the early weeks when we wanted to be sure there was something for customers to buy!

We averaged 6 vendors on a given Saturday. We estimate the gross made by our growers and producers was $20,000. We netted over $1,000 in market fees over the season, which will give us a good start for 2009. Our e-newsletter, published by Nikki Austin, grew to reach 250 people. Over the 26-week season we had 4,000 customers.

We hope all of you will be back in 2009 to help our market continue to grow!