Farmers market trail encourages exploration

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Northwest Arkansas Farmers Market Alliance created a new regional trail for those who like to buy fresh produce and shop locally.

Dubbed the Northwest Arkansas Farmers Market Trail, the trail is more of an activity guided by a passport rather than a physical path.

The trail is a five-week celebration of the diversity of farmers markets in the area, said Heather Friedrich. She's the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture program manager and the NWA Farmers Market alliance facilitator.

"The goal is to encourage people to visit new markets, meet new farmers, vendors and people, and explore cities they do not regularly seek out," Friedrich said.

The Farmers Market Coalition reports the number of markets in the United States has grown rapidly, from just under 2,000 in 1994 to more than 8,600 today.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Farmers Market Directory lists 108 markets in Arkansas and 13 in Benton and Washington counties.

Area farmers markets range in age and what they offer, both in terms of food and entertainment, she said.

The event started July 1. People can obtain a passport book at any of the 12 participating markets. The passport has the hours, days and address of each market.

Participants are encouraged to get passports stamped at each market they visit then return their used passports to any market by Aug. 1. There will be drawings for prizes during National Farmers Market week Aug. 5-11. The prizes are packages with gift certificates and market swag.

Jim McGuire, a vendor at the Springdale farmers market and board president, said he believes the passes will encourage people to visit other markets.

He said he's not worried about the passes taking business away from the Springdale market and is optimistic it will help its business.

"My experience is that the people who keep you going are not those who just pass through," he said, adding he's been involved with the market since 2000. "They're the people who leave home with the intention of going to the farmers market."

The Springdale market operates from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in The Jones Center Parking lot.

The pass is a great way to encourage area communities to experience the uniqueness and diversity of other communities and their markets while also supporting local farmers, said Stacey Hester, manager of the Siloam Springs farmers market.

More than 85 percent of vendors traveled fewer than 50 miles and more than half traveled less than 10 miles to sell at farmers markets, the coalition reports.

Siloam Springs only has a Saturday market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's in City Park next to the Community Building. There are typically between 18 and 24 vendors, 12 of which are farmers.

Hester said she's been promoting the passports on social media, but Saturday was the first they were available at the market.

Market shoppers Saturday had varying opinions about the passports and on visiting other farmers markets.

Amy and Vicky Harrod said they have been consistently going to the Fayetteville Farmers' Market since they moved to the area two years ago.

"We were actually talking earlier about how this is the only one we have been to and we want to go to others, so that might be an incentive," Amy Harrod said about the passports.

The Harrods said they would like to try different growers' products and also see if other markets have better deals.

Others, like Ben and Christy Pollock of Fayetteville, said they would rather stick with the vendors they know or did not want to travel even for possible prizes.

Chuck Cooper of Bella Vista said he visits the one there or drives a little further out to Bentonville, as he did Saturday.

"I wouldn't mind visiting others. They have a really good one here, so that certainly reduces the incentive to travel," Cooper said. "But we use it just as a way to go out for a drive."

NW News on 07/09/2018