By Scott Smith
An “Egg Extravaganza” and entertainment by Rhum Academy of Music students will help the Kokomo Downtown Farmers’ Market kick off its 2010 season Saturday, the day before Easter.
And with a new season comes some new marketing strategies to help draw more vendors and consumers.
Mandy Wright-Jarrett, market director, said Saturday’s opening day will include family-oriented activities.
“Bring your children, greet the chickens, and enjoy our natural Easter egg dyeing station,” Wright-Jarrett said. “You also can meet some of our local vendors and learn what produce will be available throughout the market season.”
As in past years, the Downtown Farmers’ Market will be in the City Parking Lot at the intersections of Union Street with Sycamore and Walnut streets. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon.
Kokomo Downtown Association director John Wiles said he expects more vendors and more visitors for the market, which moved up its opening date this year.
Students at Ivy Tech have been working on a marketing plan for the market, including an upcoming billboard along U.S. 31, Wiles said.
The school is also funding Wright-Jarrett’s position, and she has lined up live entertainment for the market each week, featuring students from the Rhum Academy.
Wright-Jarrett had two informational meetings for prospective vendors, which drew 37 interested people in February and another 40 in March.
“We expect the market will pick up this year,” Wiles said. “We decided to open earlier, because a lot of the things that are grown in spring, by the time we opened [last year] in June, the vendors didn’t have the opportunity to sell.”
Ivy Tech has incorporated the farmer’s market into its newly formed agriculture studies program, Wiles said, and in addition to assisting with marketing, school officials have also helped review the rules for the market.
The Downtown Farmers’ Market is authorized to accept Women, Infants and Children, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks for fresh fruits and vegetables starting in June. For WIC and Senior FMNP eligibility requirements, call 765-864-4160, option 2.
The market will be closed July 3 because of the Haynes Apperson Festival. The market’s last day this season will be Oct. 30.
For more information, visit the market’s Web site (www.kokomofarmersmarket.com), or call Wright-Jarrett, 765-438-0918.
• Scott Smith is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He may be reached at 765-454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@ kokomotribune.com
