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Janesville Farmers Market awarded promotion grant [The Janesville Gazette, Wis.](Janesville Gazette (WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 21--JANESVILLE -- Marketing, outreach and sales for the Janesville Farmers Market will improve between now and October 2016 thanks to a two-year, $74,337 grant from the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program. Stephanie Aegerter, market manager, said in a news release the money will be used to: -- Advertise that the market accepts Foodshare benefits. -- Promote and expand the market. -- Research the need for a mid-week downtown farmers market. -- Expand hours. -- Buy cooking equipment to provide demonstrations at the market through partnerships with local chefs. -- Recruit market volunteers. -- Increase the number of vendors by 37 percent. -- Increase attendance by 65 percent. "I'm excited about the opportunity to do more education and outreach for the Janesville Farmers Market that is good for local farms, downtown and the people who live nearby and may not otherwise have good access to fresh food," she said. The money also will be used to advertise a temporary location change for the 2105 season while Main Street is resurfaced, Aegerter said. The market will stay downtown, but its temporary location hasn't been determined, she said. The market began accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program benefits, also known as EBT or Foodshare, in June 2012, Aegerter said. Use of SNAP at the market increased 64 percent during that first year, she said. Yet 2014 totals have not shown an increase in SNAP usage, even though the market received funding to advertise the program on city buses and billboards and brochures at the market, Aegerter said. The market's goal is to increase SNAP usage by 200 percent over the next two years, she said. Aagerter said the market exists to: -- Provide fresh food to Janesville residents. -- Provide an outlet for local farmers and crafters. -- Bring more people to Janesville's other downtown businesses. "This is why we have a priority to keep the market downtown during this temporary change," she said. The market features fresh produce, meats, cheese, eggs, honey, baked goods, plants, soaps, hand cream, herbs, seasonal products, art pieces and more from a variety of Wisconsin vendors. The market, which is in its 10th season, runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, May through October. ___ (c)2014 The Janesville Gazette (Janesville, Wis.) Visit The Janesville Gazette (Janesville, Wis.) at www.gazetteextra.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |