The Wolfforth Farm Fresh Market and the West End Farmers Market have come to a close for 2016. 23 different vendors participated in the Wolfforth Farm Fresh Market and 42 different vendors participated in the West End Farmers Market this year with an estimated agricultural impact of over $192,000 in sales between the two markets for the year. The markets featured all local produce, meats, eggs, dairy, baked goods and locally made products from West Texas.
WTGPA President and local produce grower, Wolf Kuhlemeier thinks that these markets are more than dollars and graphs. “Our members love to grown and sell to the public, and regardless of the weather, the heat, bugs or what have you, they all strive to give the best that they can give to the area in hopes that ‘farm to table’ becomes a household term for an area that relies on fast foods so heavily.”
Kuhlemeier says that the local customer base makes all the difference to the WTGPA membership and it is sometimes the only chance many of these farmers get to engage with their customers.
“It makes it completely worthwhile to leave the fields when you have some of the bright and cheerful customers that we have. They are the reason we grow and the reason we set up as much of the year as possible.”
Lucinda Mann, Vice President of WTGPA, explains that the end of the outdoor market season doesn’t spell the end of local foods for members of the WTGPA. “We have growers that grow in greenhouses and some that even grown winter hearty stuff, so we opened the Farmers Pantry on October 20.”
The Farmers Pantry is located indoors at 4843 W 50th Street in Lubbock at the corner of Wayne and 50th and will be open from 10am to 6pm on Thursday through Saturday, as well as becoming the home office of the WTGPA.
“We will hold the Pantry’s Grand Opening on November 11 and 12 and participate in Small Business Saturday from American Express on Saturday, November 26,” explains Mann.
The West Texas Growers and Producers Association would like to extend a hearty thank you to the citizens of Wolfforth and Southwest Lubbock for their patronage and encouragement, as well as the certified members of the WTGPA for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm for what they do and who they do it for.
Additional gratitude is extended to the City of Wolfforth, City Manager Darrell Newsom, Debbie Perkey, Terri Robinette of the Wolfforth Chamber of Commerce, the Wolfforth EDC, the management of the West End Center and GRACO Commercial Real Estate.
For a list of members of the WTGPA and to keep up with additional details of markets including dates, market locations and other information, go to wtgpa.org
