By Miles Flynn | Southern Indiana Business Report
LOOGOOTEE — The bounty of local land, kitchens and workshops aims to entice shoppers this summer at a new farmers market in Loogootee. The offerings will be available on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, beginning June 26 and running through October, at 510 North John F. Kennedy Ave. — U.S. 231 — just north of Jack Butcher Boulevard.
The new market is the first big project of the Community Action Leading Loogootee organization, an aspiring Main Street group that got its start just before COVID-19 put the brakes on almost everything.
About 10 people are in the core group that’s been working to organize the market, according to Teresa Nolley, CALL’s vice president. Those folks have been busy the last few months recruiting vendors and spreading the word — including paying visits to local Amish farms.
“We feel we’ve gotten a lot of excitement,” Nolley shared. “… We’ve got a lot of people talking about it.”
Organizers have borrowed from the playbooks of several farmers markets around the region, including events at Bedford and Orleans, and the hope is that a successful 2021 will lead to a new annual tradition in Loogootee.
So far, the team’s received commitments from a handful of vendors for the first day, but that number has the potential to grow quickly. Nolley explained new vendors can join at any time as long as they meet the event’s criteria. Rules include that vendors come from a 35-mile radius of Martin County and sell only homegrown or hand-crafted items.
The location does offer room to expand. “It’s really a good-sized lot,” Nolley said. And if the event eventually outgrows the space, she said that’s a good problem to have.
The group is also working on getting the market added as a venue accepting WIC coupons and IU Health Bucks. “We hope to get there,” Nolley noted.
Next steps for CALL
CALL got its start after community leaders worked with Regional Opportunities Initiative. Through the course of those conversations, it was determined the town needs branding and that a Main Street organization could definitely help the effort.
CALL continues the process of checking the many boxes required to become an official Main Street organization through Indiana Main Street, which is administered by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Nolley said CALL has almost reached the point of submitting its application. “We feel we’re right there,” she commented.
The next big goals for CALL are organizing more events in Loogootee and, of course, getting more people on board to help. Anyone who’d like to learn more about the new farmers market or lending a hand with CALL can check out the group’s Facebook page, visit www.callloogootee.com, email [email protected] or call Nolley at 812-295-6135.
“We want everyone in Loogootee to become involved,” Nolley said.