by TaLeiza Calloway – news@thenewsleaders.com
Today (April 19) marks the last day for the indoor St. Joseph Farmers’ Market. When it returns next month to kick off its outdoor season, visitors should prepare for new offerings to enhance the market experience.
Market organizers have the help of their first intern this year as part of efforts to attract more customers. Market manager Terri Emmerich said they’ve added live music each week and plan to invite artisans to the market lineup. Artists will be able to sell their work, as well as do some demonstrations. Examples include jewelry makers and potters, items often seen at the market’s annual Harvest Festival.
Even with the additions, the goal is to keep the market’s focus on agriculture. The idea is simply to continue to grow.
“We’re just trying something different,” Emmerich said. “We’ve evolved the last few seasons.”
Vendors and visitors approve the market upgrades. St. Stephen resident Karen Mahlich is a regular customer at the local market and says she likes hearing the live music as she mingles each week.
“I’ve come to this market for many years,” Mahlich said. “(The music) is nice.”
Emmerich said the help from market intern Emmett Doyle has been very helpful. The St. John’s University student’s duties as an intern include maintaining the market’s social media outreach via Facebook and other media and booking musicians to perform at the market.
Doyle says he is enjoying working with the farmers’ market. It’s all familiar territory for him as his family would often take him to farmers’ markets when he was a child. He grew up on a farm just outside of town.
“It’s been a great learning experience,” Doyle said.
The senior environmental studies major said future plans for the local farmers’ market include incorporating virtual tours of the market, a move that will allow customers to learn even more about the vendors and see just where their food comes from – literally.
The St. Joseph Farmers Market is held every Friday at Resurrection Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. The market’s outdoor season will run from 3-6:30 p.m. Friday, May 10 through Sept. 13 and from 3-6 p.m. Sept. 20 through Oct. 18, according to the market’s website, www.stjosephfarmersmarket.com. Resurrection Lutheran Church is at 610 CR 2 in St. Joseph.
