Give to the Max 2021

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

West Side Farmers Market
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Help us build a resilient local food economy by providing a supportive space for new producers.

$1,687

raised by 33 people

$4,500 goal

Over its first 10 years, the West Side Farmers Market has developed a fun, vibrant, and smoothly-running market that runs mostly on the enormous efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers and a minuscule staff. Our accomplishments have been great - developing a loyal customer base, being mentioned by Food and Wine Magazine as a part of a "Perfect food day in St. Paul", seeing vendors move on to bigger and attracting a diverse group of vendors, but it isn't sustainable. There is so much more we could do for our vendors, customers, and the neighborhood with dedicated staff time. 

Together we have the power to lift up local food producers and help close the wide gulf between being a backyard gardener with some extra produce and a thriving full-time farmer. We want to better support our vendors with educational opportunities on vending, marketing, media, and more to help them thrive.

While it is always sad to lose a vendor from our mix, the sadness is often bittersweet as many of the vendors who don't return have grown into a new stage of their journey. We have had a number of farmers move on because they were finally ready to buy a farm and that meant leaving the state. Isabel Street Heat started at the West Side Farmers Market and now is distributed to cooperative grocery stores throughout the upper Midwest. We want to help support more of our vendors make this transition to larger more economically viable situations. 

To make space for these vital programs, we need to hire more staff. For Give to the Max this year we are raising $4,500 to fund our on-site manager position. This person oversees the activities at the market ensuring customers, vendors, and volunteers have what they need for a successful market, send out weekly emails and social media posts, and communicate with the vendors.

What about vendor fees? Vendor fees cover about 25% of our budget. We intentionally keep our vendor fees low as one way to lower the barriers to becoming a thriving farmer, food producer, artist, or artisan. Start-up costs in farming are huge and we don't get the customer traffic of larger markets. We want to make sure farmers can afford to sell at our market.

Even a small contribution can make a big impact, especially at Give to the Max where your donation could help us win cash prizes of $500-$1000! Please consider a meaningful donation to West Side Farmers Market so we can rebuild the local food economy and strengthen resilience in the community.

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