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Since the 1980s, the Kearney Area Farmers Market in Kearney, Nebraska, has provided the people of Buffalo County locally grown produce and community camaraderie. Over the years, the market has grown and continues to adapt to best serve the community.
In January 2024, Erin Lewis took over as market manager. Although she’s not a Kearney native, Erin had gotten familiar with the market over the past few years and jumped at the chance to take on her current role.
“I had worked for a vendor for two summers in a row and really enjoyed being at the market,” Erin said. “I was told about the position and thought it could be a fun yet challenging new role to take on at the market.”
Erin also serves as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) coordinator. With these services, local, fresh food access has become an option for even more people. Vendors at the market accept several kinds of payments including cash, credit/debit card, check, Venmo/Cash App, and Apple Pay.
“Each vendor varies,” said Erin. “If a vendor only accepts cash and you don’t have any with you we actually have ‘market bucks.’ To use those, you have to stop by the orange information tent and run your card/Apple pay for the amount you need in increments of five. We would then give you that amount in blue market bucks to spend within the market. All vendors accept market bucks.”
The same process works with SNAP/Nebraska Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, except instead of blue market bucks, customers receive green SNAP bucks, as only certain items can be purchased with that form of payment.
Deborah Solie, project associate with the Center for Rural Affairs, has worked with Erin and others on training and grant applications.
“The Kearney Area Farmers Market continues to focus on the community with their innovative programming and access to fresh, delicious food and be an amazing example for other farmers markets on implementing SNAP and DUFB,” said Deborah. “Erin is doing a great job booking food trucks and helping answer vendor and community questions. She and the market vendors have created a welcoming environment for people to gather, shop, and enjoy each other's company."
Customers can expect to find a plethora of items to satisfy their shopping needs, including produce of all kinds and from all seasons, honey, jams/jellies, meat (beef, pork, and chicken), and eggs. Vendors also offer freeze-dried candy, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, seasonings, snack foods, crocheted items, 3D printed items, coffee/tea blends, soaps, CBD items, and more. Erin is proud that the market offers something for everyone.
“I may be biased, but I feel like the market means a lot to the community,” she said. “One of the many reasons I love this town is that it has such community-based values, like ‘shop small, shop local,’ and when you’re at the market you can truly feel it. You really get to know the vendors each week and you run into people you know. It really is a fun, local community event every week.”
The market is also family- and dog-friendly and provides entertainment for all ages, including live music each Saturday. Erin hopes to incorporate more options in the future and has many ideas for new events and projects.
“I would love to do a ‘Taste the Rainbow’ event so kids have the chance to try the different fruits and veggies that they might not have tried before,” she said. “I’ve also thought about holding a knife skills class for older kids to teach them how to safely use knives in the kitchen when cooking with their family. Really, any type of event that gets people involved at the market to learn useful things is wonderful.”
Erin has enjoyed working with the Center on making the Kearney Area Farmers Market the best it can be and looks forward to future collaborations.
The vendors also worked with Center staff when they took part in a training event relating to Nebraska’s cottage food law, which allows for some refrigerated goods, such as cheese danishes, and sauces and dips like pesto and hummus, to be sold from home kitchens. Because of this law, vendors have an opportunity to supplement their income through cottage food sales while also providing additional food options in areas where choices are limited.
Additionally, vendors will have an opportunity to participate in a social media training on how to better engage with Latino customers and vendors.
“The Center has been such a joy to work with,” Erin said. “The more diverse our market is, the more people shop at our market. There really is something for everyone here.”
Erin is interested in doing more fundraising for the market, and continues to focus on new ways of engaging the public.
“I’ve truly found a passion for being at a farmers market,” said Erin. “Now, if I go out of town, I am looking to see if there are local markets to go to. I feel like that's how to get to know a place, by the local people and their local goods. I’m so lucky to be a part of the Kearney Area Farmers Market.”
The Kearney Area Farmers Market began the first Saturday of May and expanded to Wednesdays in June. Hours are Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m to 1 p.m. in the Hilltop Mall parking lot, 5011 Second Ave., in Kearney. The market will end for the season on Oct. 26.
To learn more about the Center’s work with farmers markets, visit cfra.org/farmersmarkets.
Watch: Candi Benge and Erin Lewis with the Kearney Area Farmers Market join us on Rural Rapport to talk about why farmers markets are important to rural communities and offer advice to others looking to start one of their own.
