Zionsville residents start farmers market following store closure
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – If you didn’t know, this week is National Farmers Market Week and what a better way to celebrate than to go out to your local market and pick up some fresh produce.
In Zionsville, a farmers market is some neighbors only option for fresh fruit and vegetables. At the Boone Village Plaza, there’s a big empty store front right now. It used to be the only grocery store, a Marsh. Local business owners didn’t want people to stop coming to the plaza, so for the last three weeks they’ve been running a “pop-up farmers market.”.
The idea was a way to keep foot traffic up and customers coming to the plaza. One farmer, Albert Lewis, has been selling from his property for more than 20 years but now he has his own spot.
Zionsville has a long-standing Saturday morning market, but this market is Wednesday evenings only, from 4-7 p.m., letting people get fresh food in the middle of the week. The closest grocery stores currently are the Meijer in Whitestown or the Target on North Michigan Road.
Leigh Ann Akard helped start the market and is the owner of the Hardware store next door, “There’s a need,” said Akard. “People are looking for things like that. They want to shop local and they want to be local and you have to continue to give them the opportunity.”
The first market had 14 vendors. Albert is in the parking lot early in the morning Wednesdays selling his goods 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you want to come out, it’s open from 4- 7 p.m.Wednesday evening.
For more information on the Zionsville market, click here.