Caring for its Customers

It’s not just a big day, it’s a tradition. That’s why when it looked like the annual Customer Appreciation Day at the Farmers’ Market might not occur this year due to budgeting issues, vendors stepped in. 

The vendors who set up at the Market Pavilion each Wednesday and Saturday during the season with produce they’ve grown/ harvested from fields, fresh baked goods and handmade crafts/products vowed they would collectively see to it the event would go on. 

Jerrica Dotson, vice president of the Farmers’ Market and a vendor, said the Farmers’ Market has not been immune to ongoing economy struggles. Inflation and loss of some sponsorships have had a budget impact. 

“It’s (Customer Appreciation Day) one of the biggest days of the year. This is the first year we weren’t able to buy bags for our vendors to use for their customers,” Dotson told the Advocate. “It’s tradition and a big day. Vendors are definitely grateful because the free sandwiches offered brings a lot of people out.” 

A couple of businesses chipped in on bag donations. The market here also participates in the Kentucky Double Dollars program, which doubles the value of food assistance benefits—WIC and senior vouchers—when spent on local, farm-fresh produce and meats at participating farmers’ markets. 

Dotson said the Farmers’ Market has to pay a percentage for that program and appreciated that a private individual contributed donation funds for that. 

Membership dues and market fees were even raised in an effort to help with sponsorship losses. That hasn’t deterred vendor participation. Vendor count this year is at 24, with just one not returning from last year. 

July 25 was one of the busiest Saturdays to date, Dotson said. That may be in part due to growing concerns about recalls of food items such as lettuce and the multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis (parasitic illness). 

As part of the Farmers’ Market bylaws, vendors participating must be from Montgomery County or a connecting county. Dotson said she and the market president conduct all of the garden inspections. 

Random inspections are done and the market here doesn’t allow vendors to go to auctions, for example, and purchase produce for sale. 

“It’s locally grown and that definitely makes you feel better.” 

The uptick could also be attributed, Dotson said, to the fact the market has worked to engage more community involvement from non-vendors. 

For example, last week, a mobile bookstore was on hand called The Traveling Tales Co. It offers books, bundles (Blind Date with a Book for example), candles, handcrafted bookmarks, children’s fidgets and more. 

Others have been invited to participate in the market as well this season such as the Longer Table Food. Co., a mobile food truck, that offered breakfast one Saturday. 

Still, with a lack of additional funding or sponsorship, Dotson said the outlook for hosting a Customer Appreciation Day remained bleak. 

“I was just about to post on our social media page without someone stepping up to sponsor Customer Appreciation that we would not be able to do it this year. I make stickers and I’ve been selling Farmers’ Market stickers just to help us have a little extra money in the account,” Dotson said. 

The sticker endeavor raised $75, which will help toward free drinks for Customer Appreciation Day. 

That’s when some of the vendors agreed to step up and cover sausage sandwiches that will also be offered free Saturday while they last. Recognizing customers is important, the market says, because it’s their generosity that makes it successful year after year. 

“We definitely are not going to be able to do 1,000 sandwiches like we have in the past, but we will be able to do 300 or 400,” Dotson said. 

For more details about what to expect Saturday, see the related story.