The ASU Regional Farmers’ Market
Contact: Bob Young
Market Manager
Tel: 870- 926-0250
February 24, 2015
Dear Vendors and Potential Vendors:
Once again the ASU Regional Farmers’ Market is pleased to announce the upcoming season and opening
date of Saturday May 2, 2015. I’m sorry that we were unable to hold our vendor’s meeting/workshop on
February 21 but Arkansas weather can be very unpredictable from day to day. We will not reschedule
because reservations are hard to get on short notice. Looking ahead we know that spring is coming and
our market season will begin soon. I hope that you all are making plans and preparing already for the
season and that perhaps you will try new products along with those that have proven to be successful at
the market already.
We are making a couple of changes this year that I wanted to share with you. We regret that the Howard
family will no longer have the Getaway Café on Saturdays. Elizabeth has taken on some other business
ventures and just doesn’t have the time to devote to the café anymore. They will continue to produce
their fine products at the Once upon a Farm booth. We are grateful for that. With that, I would like to
announce that Jerry Whitten is excited about becoming the food vendor this year. Mootown Grill will
open this year with a promise to take up where the Howard family left off. The Whitten family will have
the grill open for breakfast and lunch. Jerry said he will also work on drawing a lunch crowd on
Tuesdays as well. Let’s all help him with that. He will also have a coffee service.
Dr. Kevin Humphrey and his college of agriculture and technology structures class will be building a new
wheelchair ramp off the deck.
I’m going to try something a little different for the vendor spaces on the outside of the pavilion on
Saturdays. We will reserve spaces for our regular vendors on request. They will be assigned a number
and I will put an orange cone with that number in their space. This space will be theirs throughout the
season or until an adjustment is made due to the needs of the market or a vendor drops out. This will
allow vendors from having to get to the market so early to stake out a space. Other vendors that are not in
a reserved space will be filled on a first come basis. This procedure will take a lot of cooperation from
you as the vendor to stay in contact with the market manager if you can’t be at the market or running late.
Finally I would like for you all to consider helping with advertising on an individual basis this year. We
have been very successful with Facebook in this past couple of years but social media in several forms
has really hit marketing by storm and is a great way to get the word out quick and can target our intended
audience. I have been working with Kelli Listenbee from the ASU Small Business and Technology
Development Center. She has agreed to offer a seminar for our market vendors entitled Social Media for
Small Business. Save the date of Thursday May 7, 2-4 pm! This seminar will explore the robust
advertising platforms offered on visual social media marketing tools. We’ll work on using social media
as a cost free way to advertise your small business and to build your network of consumers. I hope you
can arrange your schedules to be a part of this two hour seminar that will ultimately benefit your business
as well as the overall farmers market.
Please take the time now to fill out a new application for 2015. I ask that you make your email very clear
so that I will not have trouble when sending out information via email group list. I had some trouble this
year getting the word out to everyone. Hopefully most can give me an email because that is a very good
way to communicate with a large group like ours. I need a new application for anyone wanting to return
as a vendor as well as any new vendor applicants. You can email the application back to me at
rtyoung5455@sbcglobal.net or send to me at 3407 S. Caraway Road, Suite 7, Jonesboro, AR 72404
Any grower interested in the Arkansas WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program should contact me for an
application. This year it can be done throughout the year. Also, for the first time it will be good for the
2015/2016 season once approved.
We wish you the farmers/vendors a prosperous year during the 2015 season. If you have been thinking
about expanding your operation or starting something new this should be a good year to do so.
Come Grow With Us
Bob Young
Market Manager