Meet the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market: Willow Farmer

Market manager moving a mile a minute

Willow Farmer, lanky and tall, moves as quickly as a tiger in the full-time market manager position at the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market.

With a smile and accommodating words, Farmer, in a jacket as bright and as orange as the pumpkins and harvest crafts of the latest season of fall, darts to and fro as tables are set up early each Saturday morning -- as early as 7 or 7:30.

Farmer said, “I have been the full-time manager for just this season.”

The relatively new market manager was the part-time manager as of last year and added that Visit Statesboro! was instrumental in helping grow the market from tents set up in downtown Statesboro to a covered facility and grounds behind the Visit Statesboro! building.

Facebook Live tour of the new market location with Willow Farmer

Farmer has helped make the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market even more of a buzzing hive of activity with vendors of honey, flowers, fruit, vegetables, crafts, and art among other items.

In fact, recent honey vendors included Humble Bumble Bee Farm and H.L. Franklin’s Honey, and a few of the recent crafters/vendors were Bayer Lathe Creations, Personalized Dog Bandanas, and Mack’s Mussels. A long list of farmers join these and others (see lists toward the end of the article).

More than a market

Not only does Willow Farmer help manage the market itself but assists in creating new programs for it there and the social media promotion of it.

“I love to create a space where others can come together and build a community. That is something that I have always kind of gravitated toward,” Farmer said.

Not only does the market have traditional offerings of crops, but it has fusions of art and food and handmade items.

The market manager mentioned people who have done art on cookies and others who have done handcrafted linens. Farmer also mentioned another vendor making corn husk dolls.

Farmer added, “Stephanie Mackiewicz with Mack’s Mussels does upcycling with the shells where she paints those.”

Photo Courtesy Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market

She said the Averitt Center also comes to the market with examples of their artists' work.

Farmer said that artist Edie Grace Grice has come with postcards and greeting cards and brings canvas for people to paint their own canvases.

New family friendly activities

She is excited about a new family-friendly section they have created toward the back of the market.

The market has been partnering with the Statesboro Regional Library to have puppet shows and to give out free books for children in the new section. They may also be having some occasional reading aloud of books for the younger ages.

During an art-themed Saturday a couple of weeks ago, the Statesboro High School Art Club did a parade around the market with students dressed as artists and even as works of art. This was part of a Living Art Exhibit at the market. The market, on that day, had a living art theme in general.

Other activities for the whole family have been planned by Farmer with assistance from others. On September 16th, they had a peanut theme for the market to join in celebrating the famous Georgia nut with the Brooklet Peanut Festival.

Many market vendors

The market, under Farmer’s leadership, is averaging about 40 vendors and 25 regular vendors who come every week. Therefore, they rotate in about 15 new vendors each week who may either come occasionally or may just be there to try it out one time.

Farmer said, “As of this season, I am not looking to grow because we are already pretty full for the rest of the season. But I will say that, looking forward to future seasons, we are looking to increase the amount of farmers that we have.”

“We do really want to bolster our farmers and get more of those in,” Willow Farmer added.

Future plans include adding more food trucks and possibly reconfiguring the layout so that they can utilize more of their outdoor spaces around the covered part of the market.

Farmer said, “Also, we might do some possible pop-ups or big events like...Shopping by Candlelight where we can easily have 100 or more vendors.”

Volunteers vary and are necessary

A lot of making the market run smoothly is also made possible thanks to the efforts of volunteers. On a recent Saturday, they had approximately 20 volunteers to help vendors set up and assist in other ways.

Willow Farmer said that was the most they had ever had and have had volunteers from various organizations at Georgia Southern University, including fraternities and sororities, and they usually average around 10 volunteers. It takes a group of volunteers to keep things organized for the start time of 9 a.m. each Saturday. The market then runs until 12:30 p.m. on the dot.

The Market Manager's multiple masks/hats

Farmer also has a second job at the Henderson Library on the Georgia Southern University campus and focuses on the community there as well.

“I do preservation of rare books and materials but also local history. I do a lot of preservation work on genealogical records, the history of local buildings, and local families. Again, going back to that community-base, I love Statesboro. I do everything I can to give back to the community,” Farmer said.

Market Regulars

Farmer provided a list of regularly attending vendors at the market, but this does not reflect all who attend (check the Facebook page regularly for more information).

Regularly attending farms at the market have been:

Camhanaich Farm LLC
Humble Bumble Bee Farm
Hunter Cattle Grassfed Beef
Jacobs Produce
Mill Creek Farms
Ogeechee Peaches (no longer in season)
Pepper Pride
Poor Robin Gardens
The Potting Cart
WillMor Farms

Prepared food vendors who have regularly attended have been:

Caribbean Feast
Cakes by Rosie
Ma’s Country Pantry
Super Magnolia Bakery Café
Three Tree Coffee Roasters
We Bee Jammin

Regularly attending artisan businesses have been:

Bracelets by Barbara
Howard Bead Boutique
The Original Sassy Girl Candles
Overbrook Farm Scented Candles
Personalized Dog Bandanas / Lavender Menace

Market To Go and other programs

The Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market also has a Market to Go program. People can order by 10 p.m. Tuesday nights for Thursday pick up at Visit Statesboro. The website for this is as follows: https://statesboromarket2go.locallygrown.net/ .

They also have a program where those who receive SNAP/EBT benefits can gain access to more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market

According to their Facebook page, “Did you know we match SNAP/EBT dollars — dollar for dollar — at our Saturday Market and online Market2Go? When you spend $10, you get $10 for free to spend on fresh, local fruits and vegetables. You’ll pay less for fresh and local food that is higher quality and more nutritious. Shopping at your local farmers markets puts your money back into your community. All you have to do is show up, swipe your card, and shop for fresh food.”

According to a map of markets throughout Georgia handed out at the market table, Georgia Fresh for Less / Wholesome Wave Georgia help sponsor this program, and their websites are georgiafreshforless.org and wholesomewavegeorgia.org .

Inclement weather at the market and how to check for closings

On Saturday, October 1st, the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market had to cancel the market because of the results of inclement weather/Hurricane Ian. But they usually have it running through both sunny weather and drizzle.

Check the Facebook page a day or two before and even the morning of the market if you suspect inclement weather may affect the market being held.

The next market day, if the weather is good, should be Saturday, October 8th from 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. at the facility behind Visit Statesboro! on 222 South Main Street on the Blue Mile in downtown Statesboro.