Ethan Hoagland
With an early start and a late finish, the Sweet Home Farmer’s Market wrapped up another successful season, according to market director Belinda Bayne. The market this year started two weeks early in the third week of May and ended October 17, the third Tuesday of the month.
“I think that worked well for all of our vendors,” Baynes said. “So I think we’ve decided to continue that for next year.”
It’s not just the vendors who are happy with the extended season. Baynes said the community responded really well to the added weeks.
Another special addition to this year’s market: a kids booth during the summer. Through a grant provided by Samaritan Health Services, the kids booth offered children at the market an activity or taste test. Upon finishing the test or activity, kids were given up to $4 in tokens that they could use only on fruits and veggies. This year, the kids booth handed out $3,284 worth of tokens to kids. Baynes said that an average of 68 kids attended each market in the summer while the kids booth was active.
The market meets a need for produce access in the Sweet Home community. This year, more than $10,000 worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were spent at the market. That’s up from about $8,100 in 2022.
On top of that, more than $9,000 worth of Double Up Food Bucks went out to community members. That program works by matching up $20 of SNAP benefits. Last year, the market matched more than $5,600.
Baynes plans to hold the market in the same location, near the library and post office.
“Hopefully we can continue to be in that parking lot,” she said. “It’s a great location for us and we’re right next to the public library. I think that promotes more families to come.”
In years past, Baynes had noted some issues with people experiencing homelessness in that area. That’s a problem she said the market didn’t have this year, per previous reporting done by The New Era.
The future looks bright for the Sweet Home Farmer’s Market. On Saturday, October 14 market organizers held a fundraiser dinner that featured raffle prizes from local businesses and farms. Donors this year included the Oregon Jamboree, Steelhead Fitness, The Point and many more. The fundraiser supports the market’s operating costs, which keeps fees low for vendors. Baynes expects vendor fees to be about the same next year.
“We appreciate the community’s support,” Baynes said.