The 2020 Finland Farmers Market Wraps Up… (or Does it??)
October 8th was the final market day for the regular market season. As everyone knows, 2020 has been a trying year for all, and made for an unusual market year filled with face masks, one-way customer flows and lots of hand-washing.
Despite the challenges faced by all, the Finland Farmers Market had a stellar year. We have been tracking customer weekly attendance since 2016, and 2020 came in with more than half of it’s weekly market attendance tracking 15-45% above the running average. That is, in a word, amazing! Only two market days in 2020 fell below the 5 year average.
On top of our committed and long-term vendors, we also added new vendors selling jams, chips & salsa, frozen pizzas & additional bread products! We are always looking for new vendors to add to our mix, especially those offering meats & cheeses. So if any of our readers have a suggestion for new vendors for the 2021 Farmers Market Season, please reach out to us.
In 2021, if things return to “normal”, we look forward to offering cooking demonstrations, informational community tables, and hopefully even having onsite food trucks serving hot food. Stay tuned.
But WAIT… the 2020 season may not yet be over! Earlier this season, a group of vendors got together to discuss & create an online sales platform for the Finland Farmers Market. Round River Farm, the Switchback Farm and Wolf Ridge Farm all participated and trialed out this new online platform this season with great success. As we go into the Winter Holiday Season, the Finland Farmers Market is looking at holding two online markets per month in both November and December. This would allow you have access to some amazing local products for food or possibly holiday gifts. Watch for a special newsletter coming out in late October for more information.
A sincere and heart-felt thank-you to all the vendors and customers who made the 2020 Farmers Market Season a great success.
Stefan Meyer
Finland Farmers Market Manager