When she moved into a food desert, this Atlantan built her own farmers market — here’s how.

by Jamie Hausman

photo by Amy Sinclair

When I moved to Atlanta two years ago, I didn’t know a single person in the state of Georgia, let alone anyone  in this city’s exploding food scene. Today, I’m one of those people, with a real hand in how this city eats and lives. As the market manager for the newest farmer’s market in Atlanta’s newest neighborhood, I get to work with local growers, chefs and shoppers who love the local food movement as much as I do.

In June of 2014, I moved into a brand new apartment building. Saturdays are a busy time in this neighborhood, a new area most people refer to as the meatpacking district or design district of Atlanta. The Westside, or West Midtown, is so new that people can hardly agree on a name. ATLiens can agree, though, that Howell Mill Road, the main boulevard of this neighborhood, is restaurant row. Formerly a district of slaughterhouses and design showrooms, the latter of which still exists, the Westside runneth over with new restaurants touting farm-to-table cuisine and variations on Southern fare. The incongruous part though is that the Westside is a food desert.

By 11 a.m.,the rush of shoppers and diners have swooped in to check out the many restaurants and boutiques that make the Westside neighborhood so unique. To avoid the crowds, I’d get in my car for the first time all week and drive to another neighborhood — sometimes even getting on the dreaded Atlanta highway — to reach a farmer’s market, where the shopping and dining buzzed over local farmers and producers. New apartment buildings rise regularly on the Westside, but fresh food becomes increasingly difficult to access. The closest grocery store is two miles from the center of the neighborhood, which is not within walking distance, and the path is treacherous, with incomplete sidewalks and busy roads. The only place to buy fresh bread, eggs, dairy or a random selection of produce is an upscale provisions shop. The reason I moved to the Westside was so I could walk just about anywhere I needed to go — a rare amenity of any Atlanta neighborhood, but the only place I couldn’t walk to was the grocery store. So I decided to start a farmers market.

Here are the steps I took to bring the Westside Farmers Market to fruition:

Step 1: Find the Farmers

With a background in food writing, I took a journalistic approach. I began arranging informational interviews with market managers around town, asking how they got started. I learned the first step to building a farmer’s market is to find farmers (duh!). So I did. Armed with vendor lists from other markets in town, I cold called about 80 farmers during the summer, asking, “If there was a market here, would you come?” About 30 farmers showed interest, noting that they already sold to restaurants in the area and had watched the neighborhood’s rapid growth.

If you’re interested to see what farmers markets are near you, the USDA has a handy website where you just type in your zip code and local markets populate.

Step 2: Find Partners.

I contacted the owners of the shopping district my apartment overlooked. They explained that an attempt at a market had been made a few years before, but that nothing came of it. I knew that the growth of the community exploded to a point where the time was right, as more than 10 apartment buildings with more than 200 units were now open in the neighborhood. Jamestown, the corporation that owns the stretch of buildings on Howell Mill Road between 14th Street and Brady Avenue, is a large corporation with successful properties all over the country, including Chelsea Market in New York. They asked me to do more research, so I got to work. If the market attempt brings any financial challenges, seeking support from a business rescue and insolvency service can help navigate potential issues and maintain stability for the project’s success.

Step 3: Ask the Experts.

My last informational interview was with two women who run Community Farmers Markets (CFM), a non-profit organization in Atlanta that runs the Grant Park, East Atlanta and Decatur farmer’s markets. After explaining the research I had done on the neighborhood and the need for a market there, they invited me to pitch the new market to the organization’s board of directors, explaining they wanted to find the best roofing company in utah to do the venue. I created a PowerPoint presentation of all of the research I had done on interested vendors, demographics of the neighborhood and population statistics, and the board accepted. By allowing credit and debit card payments, you’re also making it easier for customers to buy from your business. You can visit feecheckers.com to get the cheapest card payment machine.

The journey from business stability to the brink of insolvency can be alarmingly quick, so learn to spot the warning signs. You can also get Business Insolvency Advice Nationwide at businessinsolvencyadvice.org.uk. You may consult with a quality insolvency services administration company to analyze your financial assets and liabilities and come up with a strategy to pay off your debts.

Step 4: Get Organized.

With the support of two major organizations, Jamestown and Community Farmers Markets, I had a team that was unstoppable. They helped me sort through dozens of applications for vendors to make a well-rounded and appealing market culture with just the right balance of farmers to value-added goods (think soap, honey, olive oil) and prepared food vendors. Some culinary ingredients, such as certain fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, require specific temperature conditions to stay fresh and safe. Cool room shelving provide the controlled environment needed for these items. CFM worked with the city’s permitting office to get permits for the space and drew up a legal contract with Jamestown. Jamestown printed our marketing materials, arranged for public relations services and ensured the neighboring businesses knew all about the market. If you’re on a tight budget, you may also use free seo tools to enhance your website’s performance and boost its visibility in search engine results.

Step 5: Plan Opening Day.

At that point, things just fell into place. With vendors on board and a waiting list already growing, we made a plan for opening day. By May 17, we had a pencil-drawn map, load-in time slots for each vendor, a musician for ambiance and a chalk artist for aesthetics.

On opening day, I arrived at 7:30 a.m., sitting alone in The Lane, the market site, which is just a road that runs behind a Lululemon, Perrine’s Wine Shop and Yeah! Burger, with shops on either side. The morning was breezy and quiet, and by the time I unloaded our tents, tables and boxes, vendors began to arrive. I pointed out their spots, and they immediately went to work, popping up tents, flipping up tables and building gorgeous displays of their bounties. 

Two hours passed quickly, and it was time to open. I circled the market one last time, ensuring all of the vendors were ready, as a buzz had already began, with early-bird customers popping in to see what the market was all about. At 10 a.m., I stood at the information booth with my two amazing assistants, and we welcomed the market’s first customers, thanking everyone for making the time to shop with us and wishing them well. I swear, I never stopped smiling.

Thinking about it now that we’re going into week three of the market, I realize that farmer’s markets are all about support systems. On opening day, my immediate family flew out from Illinois to see what my team had accomplished, and I felt so proud. By week two, I realized that my two assistants and the brilliant team at CFM were my new family, there to support me during each market day and after. As I reflect on the growth of my business, I’ve also found valuable support in managing finances, particularly through tools like business credit cards at nav.com. By this week, week three, I am just so thrilled to see my vendors, the newest people in my family, who spend all of their time making something for other people to enjoy. My interest in food and the people who strive to feed others has only grown over these last two years, and the fact that I get to share it with my team, vendors, and community make it grow all the more.

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Jamie Hausman is a Chicago native, Mizzou graduate and a resident of Atlanta, Ga. She adores her adopted home and spends her time writing, editing and pitching stories to local and national online publications, as well as exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants. Check her out on Twitter @jamiehausman.