Contacts
Team Contact
Shenile Ford
County Extension Director
Greene County Center
229 Kingold Blvd Suite E
Snow Hill, NC 28580
252-747-5831
shenile_ford@ncsu.edu
Project Coordinator
Joanna Massey Lelekacs
Horticultural Science
Box 7609
NCSU Campus
Raleigh, NC 27695
919-244-5269
joanna_lelekacs@ncsu.edu
Additional Resources
See Also
Return to main SARE PDP project page.
Year 1 Project Plans and Stories
| Chatham County - School Garden | |
| Gaston County - Develop a Local Foods Strategic Plan that is Supported by the Community | |
| Guilford County - Community Garden | |
| Lee, Moore & Richmond Counties - Partner Presentation on Local Foods and Farm Tour | |
| Lenoir County - Farmers' Market Revitalization | |
| Swain County - Farmers' Market Revitalization | |
Year 2 Project Plans and Stories
| Cleveland County – Building Community Awareness and Involvement in the Local Food System | |
| Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians – Farmers' Market | |
| Forsyth County – Increasing Awareness of Community Garden/Farm | |
| Forsyth County/GreenXscapes – Community/Educational Garden | |
| Greene County – Farmers' Market | |
Project Plan |
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| Montgomery County – Farm Tour | |
Other CBFS Efforts
SARE PDP Extension & Community Partnerships
GREENE COUNTY: Local Food Projects
(download this page as a .pdf file)
Needs Addressed
Greene County is an agriculture-dependent county and has a need for a venue for small and commercial farm producers to sell their produce. Greene County Cooperative Extension partnered with County Government, Arts and Historical Society and the local community to write a Golden Leaf Grant to address two needs:
- Create a community driven local foods initiative.
- Make healthy, locally grown foods and handmade products accessible in Greene County.
Project/Process
The Greene County Farmers Market started the interim market on Saturday, June 4, 2011. The temporary market will exist until the location for the original farmer’s market is cleaned up due to the recent tornado damage to the Greene County Recreation Park. Vendor satisfaction and participation has been great and we are now up to 22 vendors. (September 10, 2011). On any given Saturday, there are approximately 200-300 customers at the market.
Marketing efforts include local newspapers, articles, fliers, e-mails, Facebook and market signs in all parts of the county. The Farmers Market Advisory Board has been appointed by the commissioners and the first meeting was an introductory meeting to adopt operations of the market and an update on the new market that will be built and open by March 2012.
Partnerships
- Greene County Cooperative Extension
- Greene County Government
- Greene County Arts and Historical Society
- Greene County Economic Development Committee
- Greene County Health Department
- Greene County Chamber of Commerce
- Town of Snow Hill
- Area restaurants and businesses
Lessons Learned
- As vendor participation increases, so does the customer base.
- *Family land acquisition is not always the best way to start a project.
- Start with a small project and build larger projects later.
- It is critical to involve producers, businesses, stakeholders and Extension staff for the success of the market.
- Marketing and events provides a continuous customer base.
Results
The Greene County Farmers Market increased from 5 vendors to 22 vendors since starting June 4, 2011.
- Vendor satisfaction survey showed that vendors were satisfied with the management, customer base and sales.
- Average attendance from June 4 thru September 10 (13 weeks) was 2,600 customers. Average sales ranged from $200-$400 each Saturday.
- A market manager will be secured by Extension and market funds.
Next Steps
Continue to recruit vendors and create a Greene County Farmers Market website to market products and upcoming events.
Funding for this initiative provided through the USDA, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program.