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My Final Market

My final market was a success! My experience at the Union County Farmers Market was an amazing one, filled with new challenges and adventures.  I really enjoyed my time listening to customers share their stories each week. I learned how to effectively market a farmer’s market to a variety of audience groups. I also was able to challenge my thinking because I had to figure out how to have a farmers market during this pandemic.

Two Markets Left

This at this past market I saw a drop in customers with only 484 customers in attendance. This is due to the cooler temperature that occurred on Saturday. This week I focused on marketing our Children’s Fall fest. This will include a COVID friendly obstacle course and a pumpkin patch where kids can pick their own pumpkin. We are now at 200 Instagram followers so I hope to market this fall fest to them and make attendance spike again.

Fall Market is in Full Swing

Pumpkins, apples, and sweet corn are in full swing at the market. Customers gather in droves to purchase the bounty of fall goodies. With only 4 markets left the number of customers that come to the market is increasing because they are stocking up on goods for the winter. This is the last big marketing push to make sure we end the market on a high note. I worked to highlight various vendors using Instagram stories so that our followers can get a sense of what is going to be at the market on Saturday.

Increasing Social Media Followers

These last two weeks have been busy. The market has had nearly 700 attendees each week! With the increase in attendance, my mentor and I decided that it was time to really push the customers to follow us on social media. I designed a flyer to advertise the various social media accounts the market has. So far the market has gained about 20 followers on Instagram. I am looking forward to talking with the vendors about the transition into fall and what that looks like for each farm.

Getting in the Flow

These past two weeks have been filled with positive customer feedback. Each market my mentor and I are constantly working to improve the user experience at the market. I think that the customers are getting used to all of the COVID-19 guidelines so the negative comments surrounding masks have lessened. Customers are grateful for a place to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. I experienced my first SNAP transaction and it was great to see that customers are using the assistance they receive towards healthier eating.

The Second Market Did Not Disappoint.

The second market at the Pavilion was a success with 555 customers passing through!  We shortened the cone areas for designated waiting and that seamed to improve the overall customer experience. As we look towards the coming weeks my mentor and I are always looking for ways to improve the market from both a consumer and vendor standpoint. As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, we will have to remain flexible because the state could close at any moment. I have been really utilizing Instagram Stories to showcase the products for sale at the market.

The Pavilion

The first market at the pavilion was a lot of work. There were many moving pieces that had to fall into place in order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. Nearly 600 customers went through the market. I had a large social media push during the market and that increased the draw to the market. I had to rope off the entire Pavillion in order to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. I increased the Market’s Instagram followers by nearly twenty followers in one week. I hope that the numbers will continue to be as high as they were at this first market at the Pavilion.

The Last Market at the Fairgrounds

This was the last big push to advertise the Market’s move so I did a huge post on Instagram and Twitter to help direct traffic to the Pavillion on July 18th. Some older customers had voiced the opinion that parking is harder for them at the Pavillion, so I designed a parking pass for them. This parking pass allows the senior citizens to park closer to the Market’s entrance. I have learned that it is important to listen to the customer’s opinion and adapt to make changes for the better.

Fourth Of July

The Fourth of July was a great market for the vendors because customers were buying products for their barbeques and parties. My time was spent handing out flyers and notifying each customer of the looming move to the Pavillion. This news was met with mixed reactions. Some consumers were excited about the move as it would be closer to their homes. While others liked the Union County Fairgrounds because of the parking situation is much better there. We had about 350 people come through the market.

We’re Moving & The Health Department Video

The market is moving back to its original location in Marysville so I was tasked with creating flyers to hand out to customers as they enter the building. The last day the market will be at the fairground will be July 11th. This week I got to help promote all of the safe practices that the market is doing to combat COVID-19. A lady from the health department recorded a video of vendors and my mentor answering questions related to COVID-19. This will be posted to the Union County Health Department’s Facebook page.