Feeding Community: Northeast Farmers Market
Way back at the beginning of the long history of Eastside Food Co-op, years prior to opening an actual store, organizers and board members had a dual challenge before them: raising awareness of the coming store and soliciting new owners. Serendipitously, there was a young college student living in NE who was studying natural resource management and environmental education who happened to bump into some EFC supporters at the first plant sale. That college student was Stephanie Lundeen, a future EFC Board member and, for all intents and purposes, the founder of the Northeast Farmer’s Market.
With support from her fellow board members and with help from Jeff Settler, Stephanie organized what would be the first community-based farmers market in the city. Her schooling and an “all in” approach to things she’s passionate about aligned in such a way that she was able to bring together farmers and makers from the area to create one of the top farmers' markets in the country.
After moving to Wisconsin soon after the creation of the market, Stephanie shifted her time and attention to establishing roots in her new community. Not long after, the market spun off as its own non-profit entity. For almost 10 years, the market was run by both paid and volunteer managers until 2012 when Sarah Knoss took the reigns as the full-time manager. Sarah was looking for a change from the film and video production work she had been doing and jumped at the opportunity to get more involved with her community.
The market has doubled in size in the last 10 years with Sarah at the helm. This has afforded opportunities to bring in more prepared foods and open vendor applications to a more diverse range of farmers, artists, bakers, and more. Anyone who’s attended the market (or just driven by it) can attest to its popularity and vibrant energy. With only 23 Saturdays to stock up, the community shows up each weekend in droves to support for nearly half the year.
When asked why she thinks the NEFM is so important to Northeast, Sarah said caringly, “NEFM is more than just a place to buy groceries, it’s a community resource that nurtures economic, environmental, and social well-being.” The Northeast Farmer’s Market, like the community it serves, is a testament to what can be achieved when passion, purpose, and people come together. Here's to the thriving spirit of the NEFM and the bright future it continues to cultivate.