Jonesborough Locally Grown

Our Seeds of Success series highlights the accomplishments and lessons-learned from Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) grant recipients. Learning from one another, we can build stronger local food systems across the nation.

Jonesborough Locally Grown (JLG) started its first farmer’s market in 2008 and became a non-profit organization in 2013. The organization has since expanded to two producer-only markets. The first market, Jonesborough Farmers Market is a traditional, seasonal farmers market while the second, Boone Street Market is a year-round indoor local foods store. Over the years, JLG has worked with over 200 farmers, providing spaces for local farmers to sell directly to consumers. Their work goes beyond farmers markets with trainings for new and beginning farmers, as well as events such as the annual Farm to Table Dinner.

JLG’s sales were consistent throughout 2016 and 2017. However, the Boone Street Market local foods store was only bringing in about 75% of what was needed to break even, and the Jonesborough Farmers Market was struggling to attract new vendors. Neither market was generating enough revenue to cover operating costs. To help increase foot traffic and sales, Jonesborough Locally Grown applied for and received a 2018 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant for $174,441. With the grant, JLG set out to improve marketing and public relations, holding more events at the markets and in the community.

Although JLG had to adjust its project plan due to COVID-19, with actions such as postponing events, JLG made progress in setting up an online store and improving data collection processes. Over the course of the grant period:

Unique events get people’s attention.

Jonesborough Locally Grown recommends creating a niche for your organization with the events it puts on. People are drawn to events that are new to the area or feature something unique about the region. The attention generated by such promotional events exposes attendees to local foods, markets, and vendors. For example, Jonesborough Locally Grown’s Farm to Table Dinner is an event they conduct where they use as much local sourcing as possible to promote JLG markets.

Online marketplaces are a great supplemental revenue stream.

Jonesborough Locally Grown had to shift when the pandemic started. They created a temporary online farmers market store to keep their markets afloat. What started as a temporary solution proved to be enough of a success that the Boone Street Market opened a permanent online store in 2021. This online store provides an additional sales outlet for vendors and provides reliable sales data.

Jonesborough Locally Grown continues to look for ways to connect the community with local foods. They added a winter market in front of the Boone Street Market which operates at least once a month during November through April. Jonesborough Locally Grown continues to hold events, including Farm to Table Dinner, Burger Nights, and other events centered around food and farmers to promote local food as possible. JLG’s Farm to Table Dinners have served up to 216 people per event and have been a model for other organizations starting community farm to table dinners. Jonesborough Locally Grown recently received a FMPP grant in 2022 to build upon the work done over the past several years. After a successful boost to their marketing and promotions work with the 2018 funding, they are now working to implement and improve their online store operations for long-term financial stability of the markets and the vendors they support.

*The USDA is providing this story as a public service. The views expressed in the features do not necessarily reflect those of USDA.