Strong Turnout For Recent Farmer’s Market Despite Rain

news1@ulyssesnews.com

Farmers and ranchers in Southwest Kansas are always praying for rain. They got their wish last week, just in time for the Farmers and Makers Market at Flodene Hertel Market Square at Main Street and Grant Avenue in downtown Ulysses. Marketgoers braved cold and wet weather for the first-ever weekly market.

The weather did not affect turnout.

“I thought the turnout was fabulous,” said Grant County Senior Center Director Nancy Borthwick. “We had 22 vendors, and everybody said they had a good sale. I know there were some people who had sold pretty much all their stuff, so I thought the turnout was really good for a rainy day.”

The market is part of a grant Grant County Senior Center received from Impact Ulysses and Pathways.

“This is a collaboration between Pathways, which is Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Impact Ulysses, the Grant County Senior Center and COPE,” Borthwick said. “This was a grant that was given over a year ago to be put into place, the logistics just didn’t happen as quickly as we thought it was going to.

“It’s been a great collaboration between all of us.”

Borthwick hired Malina Grimes as the administrator of the Farmer’s Market.

“She’s been absolutely amazing at marketing and getting vendors and making sure that it’s out there and people know,” Borthwick said. “She’s just been an asset to have her on board.”

The market will take place every Tuesday until September.

“We actually have registered 40 vendors who are interested in coming to the Farmer’s Market,” Borthwick said. “Not all vendors will be here at the same time. We have a registration process so if they’re obligated someplace else then they’ll come when they’ve put themselves on the calendar for us and then that gives us an idea of how to map them out and put them in the space we have available.”

Flodene Hertel Market Square is a small, narrow space, but the City of Ulysses blocked off a small portion of North Main and Grant which was utilized by food trucks.

“We’re blessed enough to be working with a city that will allow us to block off some of Main Street to let the overflow come out a little farther,” Borthwick added. “We plan on having at least two food trucks per week and we’re still working on the scheduling of that, but we’ve been in contact with a lot of food trucks and other people who would maybe like to come and participate in the event.”