THE MARKET ON MAPLE FARMERS MARKET RECEIVES GRANT FROM AGSOUTH FARM CREDIT
CITY OF SYLVANIA: – FEBRUARY 26, 2019: Today the MARKET ON MAPLE FARMERS MARKET in Sylvania, Georgia, announced that the market was selected to receive an AgSouth Farm Credit farmers market support grant in the amount of $500. The Market on Maple Farmers Market was one of fifty markets throughout AgSouth’s territory in Georgia and South Carolina to receive a portion of $25,000 in total grant funds. The grant will be used for advertising and promotion of the venue.
Mayor Preston Dees, said, “We are very thankful to have been selected to receive AgSouth’s Think Outside the Store® farmers market grant. We think it will go a long way in helping us promote the market and in encouraging our community to think ‘outside the store’ when planning their meals. We sincerely appreciate the continued support of AgSouth.”
According to AgSouth Farm Credit Marketing Director Christy Smith, “To be eligible to receive a grant, applicants had to provide a detailed marketing plan describing how they would use the grant funds to promote the market. We received many applications with some very creative marketing plans, and it was very hard for our selection committee to choose among the many excellent applications we received. The MARKET ON MAPLE FARMERS MARKET was chosen because of its strategic and very specific marketing plan designed to increase public awareness of the market.”
She explained that, “Many farmers get their start selling to local markets. Our grant program was designed to support these young farmers by helping to create public awareness of how choosing to shop at your local farmers market benefits not only a community’s health, but also its economy, much in the same way our own patronage program [the cooperative’s profit sharing program] benefits not only our members, but the communities we serve. This is the seventh year we have been supporting our local markets, and we’re proud continue that support.”