Waseca Farmers' Market moves to new level

“We have an especially nice farmers market in Waseca,” observes Amanda Riehm. “We have gotten very big, with as many as 60 vendors at a time.” The market gathers on the county fairgrounds facing Eighth Avenue Northeast every Saturday morning from mid-May to mid-October, except during the county fair. Depending on what’s in season, vendors offer fresh fruits and vegetables, canned goods, eggs, baked items, prepared foods, and a wide variety of crafts and specialty items.

 

Riehm, who is now a member of a recently formed steering committee which also includes Cathy Klein, Lindsey McCarty, Mairaid Orrie and Kari Wadd, points out the market has always been rather informal. Its rapid growth and popularity sort of outpaced the loose organizational structure that was in place as it formed.

 

Riehm, a long-time vendor with the market through her cottage industry The Tattooed Baker, says the event has now become part of the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association (MFMA), based in Nerstrand, but with hundreds of members spanning the state.

 

Membership in the association, Riehm explains, provides the Waseca market some resources to meet a variety of rules and requirements ranging from local to national. For one, both the farmers’ market in general and the individual vendors now have access to insurance. For another, vendors can find out more about certifications and expected procedures for certain specialized products–including, for example, the handling of eggs, which is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

In case of an inspection by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, which oversees open air food markets and could choose to visit at any time, vendors now know what the expectations and requirements are, and are in a better position to show they are in compliance.

 

Riehm admits some of the changes expected of vendors have been at least a temporary inconvenience, but says the protections and new more formal structure will prove to be important advantages in the future. For example, vendors were formerly charged only $5 to set up their booths each week; the cost has risen to $10 to help cover some of the organization’s new expenses.

 

On the other hand, she continues, MFMA membership and assistance improve the local market’s opportunities for grants and funding from outside sources. The MFMA insurance not only allows the market to meet fairground requirements, but also provides protection which will be invaluable in the case of an unforeseen complication.

 

Riehm suggests the leadership of the new committee brings together fresh perspectives and energy which the group hopes will help expand the immensely popular Power of Produce (POP) club, which uses donated money to provide children with $5 of spending money to purchase from qualified vendors whose products meet certain nutrition expectations. In partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension program, which was instrumental in beginning and continuing the POP club, the group hopes to continue, strengthen, and expand the program. Riehm adds that POP club signup and distribution is scheduled to begin July 18.

 

Committee members are also discussing and planning for a range of special promotions and offerings meant to promote the weekly event and keep it in the public eye.

 

At the same time, the group is looking for ways to improve the vendors’ experience, including receiving input about their interests and perceptions.

 

Many of the changes, Riehm suggests, will not be visible to the shoppers who flock to the weekly market, often in the hundreds. But they do provide significant protections and opportunities for vendors and the event as a whole. 

 

Riehm says becoming a vendor at the Waseca Farmers’ Market remains easy and simple, with only a short form required the first time someone sets up their display. “If you make it, bake it, create it or grow it, your product is welcome at our event,” she invites. “We’ll be happy to help with any questions and let you know about some of the changes.”

 

Riehm offers that anyone wanting information about the farmers’ market can reach out using the organization’s email: wasecafarmersmarket@gmail.com.