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Farmers Market Community Center Project
Help us replace this open lot with an attractive, permanent pavilion for the
whole community!
What Is It?
Since 1998, SF&C has been working toward
the goal of establishing a permanent structure to house the Columbia Farmers
Market. Currently, the market is held on an open lot behind the
City of
Columbia's
Activity and Recreation Center (ARC), a multi-use public facility. With
no roof, permanent restrooms, or other amenities, business at the market
is highly dependant on weather conditions. In good conditions, the
market can draw over 40 vendors and 4,000 shoppers, but wind, heat, and
rain can take a toll.
The Farmers Market Community Center is currently being envisioned as a
resource available to all in the community. The goal is to build a
permanent, roofed pavilion with established restroom facilities that can
be used to house both the market and larger community events such as weddings, reunions, and festivals. Under
this plan, the pavilion will benefit a wider spectrum of
the community than a solely market-oriented structure. The Farmers Market Community Center
is a collaborative effort &
partnership between the Columbia Farmers Market, Sustainable Farms &
Communities, the City of Columbia, and other interested organizations and
individuals.
What's
Happening Now?
In May 2007, the Columbia City Council
approved a Memo of Understanding with SF&C, clearing the way for fundraising
and design efforts to begin. We are currently developing our fundraising
strategy and working to raise community awareness of the project.
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Learn About
Other Farmers Market Structures Around the Country
Visit the
Other Markets section of our
Information page to browse listings of other
farmers markets around the country who have built or are building similar
structures.
How will the
Farmers Market Community Center help Columbia?
- Business and Economic:
- Furthers the development of the First Ward by pairing the Farmers
Market Community Center with the Activities & Recreation Center. More
local people will be able to shop at the market.
- Acts as a small business incubator allowing regular people with
little access to capital the chance to start a micro-enterprise.
- Creates the multiplier effect of supporting over 80 small
businesses, whose incomes are spent in the local community, not shipped
off to corporate headquarters in other states.
- Opens new opportunities. Expansion of market operations will allow
some growers to expand production; thus enabling the jump to wholesale
sales to locally-owned restaurants and food stores. Also creates more
opportunities for new growers to start their businesses.
- Increases agri-tourism, as a permanent structure increases the curb
appeal of the Market and expanded hours makes shopping more convenient
for customers from farther away.
- Increase sales tax revenues. Research from other markets has
indicated the building of a permanent structure has increased sales at
markets and thus increased sales tax revenue.
- Community:
- Nurtures true, broad-based community.
- Provides the rare opportunity for rural/urban interaction.
- Creates a focal point of social interaction.
- Provides exposure for other community groups such as the
Central
Missouri Food Bank and the
Central Missouri
Humane Society.
- Allows face-to-face interactions between grower and consumer.
- Fosters creation of community-supported farms and farm-supported
communities.
- Encourages cooperative competition between vendors.
- Provides educational opportunities including agricultural and
horticultural demonstrations on-site, display areas for information,
meeting space for lectures and classes.
- Provides space for larger community gathers such as weddings,
reunions, and festivals that might not currently fit in smaller
pavilions elsewhere.
- Health:
- Allows consumers to purchase fresher food that is higher in
vitamins, minerals and other important elements.
- Provides access to fresh, high-quality food for participants in the
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's
Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) program
- Lowers the likelihood that food has been treated with pesticides and
other contaminants.
- Environmental:
- Provides opportunity for preservation of rural landscape and family
farms.
- Offers better chance of wise use of non-renewable resources and
lower chance of pollution through the smaller-scale, higher
management-intensive agriculture.
- Lowers economic and environmental cost by shorter transport distance
for products.
How can I get involved?
Be on the lookout for
upcoming opportunities for community members to participate in the planning
and design of this project. SF&C is very interested in receiving community
and customer input so that the Farmers Market Community Center can best
reflect the interests and needs of the broadest spectrum of community
members. Keep an eye out for notices inviting public input and other
meetings or gatherings related to the project, and visit
SF&C's News page for updates.
Currently, as planning and fundraising efforts
get underway, the best way to support this project is through donations to
SF&C's general budget. These funds will help us organize fundraising events,
put together literature and educational materials for the general public,
and raise public awareness and interest in the project. It's quick and easy
to donate to SF&C online, through our secure Paypal button below (no account
needed), or you can send us a check or
contact us for more information. Thanks!
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