Halloween brought out the goblins and ghouls in the Grandin Village and also marked the end of a fantastic first year of the Grandin Village Community Market. Since starting on May 2nd, the Community Market has been out in full force every Saturday, rain or shine, to sell great local produce and goods from farmers and vendors within 100 miles of Grandin Road.
The Market’s manager, Brent Cochran said the biggest success of this market was seeing how well it was received by the neighborhood and community.
Market Manager Brent Cochran (left) enjoys a piece of Dogtown Pizza for breakfast.
“It really shows that people were chomping at the bit to have something like this in the Grandin Village,” Cochran said. “It seems like it was long overdue.”
This new market on the scene was quickly coined the Organic Market.
“It turned out that way because those were the vendors that did well,” Cochran said. “Our shoppers decided that they wanted local, bio-responsible foods.”
Downtown Roanoke, Vinton and Salem also have farmers’ markets so some wondered if another market in the area would have any chance to succeed. Judging by the long waiting-list for vendors and the high attendance every Saturday morning, rain or shine, it seems that the Roanoke area was not only able to support this new market but has embraced it as well.
Bruce Phlegar, general manager of Roanoke Natural Foods Coop, and Jon Smallwood of Star City Coffee have a conversation on the market.
“I think there could be this type of market in just about every neighborhood in the city,” said Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op General Manager Bruce Phlegar, “if the residents were willing to put an effort into it.”
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op funded the Grandin Village Community Market’s first year by providing tents, tables, advertising and staffing. Vendors that sold at the market paid 10 percent of their daily sales to the Co-op, rather than an hourly or daily fee, to help offset the cost.
On any given Saturday, a Grandin Village Community Market shopper could expect to a variety of goods in the parking lot behind Surf n’ Turf. Good Food Good People out of Floyd, VA was the certified organic farmer’s collaborative that was at the market every Saturday with an overflowing spread of fresh veggies, herbs, fruits, pork, frozen chickens, beef, lamb, and artisan breads. Jimbo from Big Pine Trout Farm slung delicious fresh and smoked trout fillets from Newcastle, VA. Shoppers were also delighted with gourmet mushrooms, late season blueberries, goat cheese, live music, original artwork and much much more.
Good Food Good People and their yellow produce van were Saturday regulars at the Market. (Photo by Bill Mahone)
“We wanted a festival atmosphere,” Cochran said, “so that shoppers would find a reason to come back week after week. We didn’t just start a farmers’ market, we built a community.”
Cochran, a Roanoke native, worked for a farmers’ market in Wyoming before moving back to the area. That market had room for 20 vendors and had a very similar format to the Grandin Village Community Market including a booth for a different non-profit each week to help raise money and awareness.
“The difference with Grandin Village Community Market,” Cochran said, “is the family that was created between all the vendors.” In the afternoon after the closing market on October 31, all the vendors came together for a celebratory pot-luck.
“If the vendors are happy, the patrons are happy.”
So what’s in-store for the market next year?
“We’ll be there again the first Saturday in May,” Cochran said.
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