Winter Farmers Market Season Ending

CREATED Feb. 23, 2013

  • Print
  • A series of winter farmers markets in downtown Green Bay is coming to an end. Six markets have taken place since december, letting people buy food locally from more than eighty vendors. But one of the hosts wants to create a permanent food co-o Video by nbc26.com

    video

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A series of winter farmers markets in downtown Green Bay is coming to an end.

Six markets have taken place since December, letting people buy food locally from more than eighty vendors.

But one of the hosts wants to create a permanent food co-op in Green Bay.

Sarah Himmelheber has been a paying member of the New Leaf Market Co-op since last July. "I thought it was really exciting and an exciting time to get involved as something's forming," says Himmelheber.

She has been to every one of the farmers markets this season and likes buying her food locally. "It's nice to know where they're coming from and they haven't been traveling around the country," says Himmelheber.

But today marks the end of the winter farmers markets.

"I'm going to miss the market for sure," Himmelheber says.

"Everything is so fresh and there's so many things to buy here," says Sue Katch.

For David Goddard, farmers markets are how he makes his money. "This farmer market and the other farmer market that we go to is our major outlet for selling our product," Goddard says. Organizers are working on making a permanent co-op grocery store in downton Green Bay, selling everything from maple syrup to pasta all year round.

Goddard loves the idea of a co-op, saying he wants to have a permanent place in Green Bay. "However I can't do it alone, but i think a co-op of producers would make a lot of sense," says Goddard.

But finding that permanent location is a challenge given the criteria New Leaf Market has. "We need at least 10,000 square feet and we need 50 parking spaces, we need visibility," says Lynn Walter.

And where in Green Bay they want to be. "We want to be successful in downtown," Walter says.

But New Leaf has 650 members already invested once they find that perfect spot.

"We'll be a community owned store like the packers are a community owned team," Walter says.