Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market

2014 Annual Report

Lojean Petersen, Market Manager

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I. Overview

II. Vendors

a. Full Time Vendors

b. Occasional Vendors

III. Musicians

IV. Sponsors

V. 2014 Season Goals

VI. Looking Ahead

VII. Contact

Table of Contents

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The fourth season of the 2014 Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market enjoyed huge growth. We

doubled the size of our Market space. We had a total of 66 Fulltime and Occasional Vendors

with an average of 48 vendors per week who attend the Market. We had 32 Fulltime Vendors

and 5 of those expanded from one stall to 2 stalls this year. We saw an increase in our

Occasional Vendors from 14 last year to 32 this year and 2 of those will be Fulltime Vendors

next year. We are already receiving calls about vendors wanting to join us for next year which

is very good sign we are on the right track. The foot traffic increased tremendously with the

additional expansion of our Market. Vendors reported a significant increase in sales. Vendor

feedback noted they were very pleased with the progress of the market this year. Customer

satisfaction remained high as no significant complaints were noted.

In 2014 market organizers worked hard to bring in new events to help build excitement and

reach new visitors. We sponsored our 1st Annual Salsa Contest and Chili Cook Off, which

brought contestants from Cedar Rapids, Radcliff, Story City, Jewell as well as Ames. The events

were highly successful and will continue to grow as we had many people during the contests

say how they couldn’t wait to join next year!

Overview

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Hensley Farms who was a new Vendor this year sponsored our first Watermelon Day where we

treated everyone who came to the Market with a variety of free watermelon to celebrate

National Farmers’ Market Day.

This year we were able to provide a Free Petting Zoo, Pony rides, 3 Free Face Painting Days and

2 days with a Free Bounce House for the children due to our sponsor, Ames Ford Lincoln, who

wanted to provide free activities for the children. They were highly successful days and brought

many families to the Market. Every event had lines all day long!

We had 3 local restaurants join us this year through our Chef’s Table, Olde Main, the IowaStater

and the ISU Catering, along with a TV personality, Sheree Clark who has her own show called,

Fork in the Road. These new additions, along with our other wonderful Chefs that came

through the season helped add to the excitement of our Chef’s Table and our crowds grew for

our cooking demos.

The Market was also excited to be cited as one of the reasons that helped make Ames the #1

College Town in 2014 by Livability.com.

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We were able to update our Website and received great feedback through it. One of the best

comments was, “Congrats on your expansion! FINALLY Ames has a Farmers’ Market to be

proud of!” from Joe M. on May 19, 2014. It was a great way to hear from the public that they

liked our format. We received many compliments through feedback on the Website and given

to the vendors and Information tent during our Season.

Another successful item we added this year was our Chalk station, where we hoped the

children at the Market would love to write and color on the street. We found it was quite the

draw for adults as well that loved to draw with the chalk. It was a very simple addition but

hugely successful.

We were also contacted by a South Carolina Main Street Director whose parents do not live in

Ames but come to many ISU activities and who also now travel to attend our Ames Main Street

Farmers’ Market. They have raved about our Market to their daughter who is now interested in

receiving information from us so they can use our Market as a model to set up their own

Downtown Farmers’ Market. It is another exciting factor that leads us to believe we are on the

right path.

Our live music was excellent this year, we were able to provide a wide variety of music and

added some wonderful groups to the lineup that people really seemed to enjoy and follow

when they came back for return performances. You can find a complete list of the groups that

provided entertainment throughout the season at the end of this report along with a full listing

of those vendors that participated in 2014.

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The Market also offers free children’s activities each week that were separate from the extra

monthly free activities and were hosted by a wide range of groups. For example, groups like the

Ames School Gardeners, Lutheran Services of Iowa, Reiman Gardens, Prairie Flower Children’s

Center, ISU Workspace, Iowa State Dance Marathon Group, Macaroni Kids, Adventures

Preschool and the Story County ISU Extension. The Market hosted two balloon artists that

shared their time during the year providing free balloon creations to the children each week

which was one another very popular attraction.

The Market has a very strong and diverse base of vendors. The vendors at the Ames Main

Street Farmers’ Market are very knowledgeable and are a very nice group of people that

appreciate the organized efforts of the Market. These vendors are always helpful and

cooperative. They work as a team on Saturday mornings to assist and promote one other,

which I am told does not happen in other Markets, so we are very pleased with the group of

Vendors we have.

The Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (AMSFM) was originally developed to provide a festive

market atmosphere for the Ames community. Events such as the farmers’ market make the

Cultural District in Ames a destination location and bring a wide variety of people—families,

students, young professionals, retirees—from Ames and surrounding communities together in

the heart of our downtown.

The market showcases locally produced fruits and vegetables along with other handmade

products crafted by artisans. The result is an abundant and diverse Market that people enjoy

visiting weekly. With the completion of the fourth season in October the Market was deemed

successful by both vendors and hundreds of people that provided feedback on the Market

throughout the season.

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The goal of the Market is to insure that all of the products for sale are true farmers’ market

products. This includes locally grown produce, eggs, beef, poultry, baked goods, dairy, wine,

jams, salsas, cut flowers, perennials, and bedding plants among other locally produced and

value added products. The AMSFM also recruits and encourages other high quality product

vendors such as prepared foods, artwork, crafts, and jewelry to add diversity to the products

offered.

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Agri-Cultured—Fermented Vegetables/Pickles, Kimchi’s, Sauerkraut, Kampuchea Teas,

Arcadia Café—Coffee, Tea, Apple cider, Hot chocolate, cookies, Bars, bread, scones

Berry Patch Farm—Fruit and Vegetables

Brandmeyer Popcorn---Variety of Popcorn

Chris’s Custom Bakery—Baked goods and Hand embroidered towels, knitted dishcloths

Cloverdale Quarter Acre—Vegetables

Coco’s Aprons—Handmade Aprons & Pastries

Cory Family Farms—Beef, Lamb, Goat meat, Eggs, cut flowers

Deal’s Orchard—Apples, Hard Cider, Vegetables & Baked Goods

El Mexicano—Breakfast Burritos, Quesadillas, Tacos

Fieldstone Farms—Honey Products

Frisian Farms—Farmstead Gouda Cheese

Hensley Farms—Vegetables and Fruits

Herbal Bliss Soap—All natural soaps and salves

Heritage Hills Farm—Vegetables and Herbs

Indian Delights—Indian food

Iowa Fresh Products—Vegetables

Jewel’s Country Kitchen—Baked Goods

Jumping Bean Farm—Granola, Cut Flowers, Eggs & Jams,

Kim Cheese—Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Lacewing Acres—Vegetables and Fruits

Lee’s Greens—Vegetables

Local Yocals—Breakfast Sandwiches and Farm Burgers

Maxwell Farms—Vegetables

Full Time Vendors

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Olsen Family Farm—Sweet Corn, Eggs, Chickens, Ducks

Southern Sisters Sweetery—Pies, Cookies, Bars

Strudlhaus—Pastries

Suzette’s Sewing—Linens, towels, coasters, napkins and etc.

The Sweet Shoppe—Cupcakes

Trinity Farms—Beef, Pork, Chicken, Eggs, Lamb, Turkey and Duck

Urban Acres—Vegetables

Walnut Creek Farm—Vegetables and Jams

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3 Sisters Jewelry--Jewelry

Alaynna’s Jewelry Line—Jewelry & Handcrafted Decorative Items

All Stacked Up—Decorative Wooden Art

Arnold Girl Art—Art

Barrelly Consious—Furniture made from Wine Barrels

Buffy’s Bracelets—Jewelry

Caroline & Haleigh—Hand dyed scarves & decorative art

Casual Bling—Jewelry

Century Farm Pottery—Pottery

Cracked Cheesecake Bakery—Cheesecake

Creative Custom—Custom Lettering on Items

Creative Spirits—Painting Classes

Dusty Hill Farms—Flower Baskets, bedding plants

Epic Eateries—Spices for dips, rubs and meal starters.

Friend’s Flowers—Fresh Cut Flowers

From Jen’s Kitchen—Specialty Breads, Italian Meatball, Dog treats

Gotcha Games—Bounce House

Granny B’s—Cookie Mixes

Hippie Headbands—Headbands

Inspired Enterprises—Air Plants & Containers

Joyful Colorz—Face painting

Magnolia Tacos—Fried Tacos

Main Street Juice—Fresh Blended Juices

Norton’s Greenhouse- Bedding plants, Fresh cut Flowers, Hanging Baskets

Onion Creek Farms—Vegetables and Lonna Cards

Onion Creek Products—Handmade Trellis and signs

Occasional Vendors

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Patches O’Pumpkin-- Pumpkins

Rayna—Henna Art

Red Threaded—Handcrafted Children’s Toys

Saltlickers—Inspired Herb & Spice Blends in Sea Salt

Soyphisticated Candles—Soy Candles, organic lotions, soy melts

UpCycle Creations—Rescued Vintage Dish Creations and Wool Mittens made from

rescued Sweaters

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Asphalt & Stained Glass

Bill Martin Trio

Brad Meyers

Britches and Hose Ukulele Club

Cedilla

Dawn Hallman

Elizabeth Zimmerman

Ira Grace

ISU Jazz Quartet

James Lacey

Larry Stoltenberg Band

Lily DeTaeye

Mark Haley

Matt TeRonde

Matt Woods

Rick Ennis 2nd Chair Brass

Rick Exner & Merle Hall

Ryan Sheeler

Side Car Rallye Band

Steve Clark

The Lawn Chairs

All performed on more than one occasion and a great diversity of music styles and

presentation.

Musicians

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The success of the Market this year would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors.

We recognize them on all signage for the Market as well as Newsletters and other promotions that we

use for our Market. Thank you to our Sponsors for supporting our 2014 Ames Main Street Farmers’

Market!

Iowa State University, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Wheatsfield Cooperative, 1430

KASI, Now 105.1, Ames Ford Lincoln, Banker’s Trust, Global Reach Internet Productions.

Sponsors

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Increase Sponsorships

Make the top 101 Farmers’ Markets in the Nation

Sponsorships for quality Musicians

Increase overall advertising and marketing.

Increase the utilization of Social Media.

Work to earn media versus always placing paid advertisements.

Produce brochures and cards that can be placed in the Ames Convention & Visitors

Bureau, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Hotels, Restaurants, Businesses, Library, ISU

Welcome Packets or brochures given to organizations to distribute.

Continue Radio Ads & Breakfast Club Appearances on KASI.

Continue to Advertise on Community Calendars.

Conduct weekly raffles and drawings.

Solicit sponsors that can help bring in special events and performers.

Work to involve the Main Street Businesses in the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market

2015 Season Goals

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The outlook for the 2015 Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market is very exciting! We saw a

huge growth last year and look forward to seeing that growth continue. Many new

vendors have approached the Market Manager about the 2015 season.

We have heard from our Occasional Vendors that come to our Market, who have heard

from the other Markets they go to that the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market is the

one to put into their rotation for next year. Our reputation for a successful Market is

growing in the Farmers’ Market world!

We have gained 1200 new likes this season on our Facebook page alone, which means

we are getting the word out and more people are sharing our information and following

us to see what is coming to our Market every week, so they can attend.

It is also encouraging that the Main Street Businesses saw an increase in business from

our Market being a part of the beautiful Downtown area and we want to build on that

relationship.

We are excited to be able to build on our success of this year and make more people

feel like Joe, “FINALLY, Ames has a Farmers’ Market that they can be proud of!” I

believe that is very possible!

Looking Ahead

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For further information on the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market please contact:

Lojean Petersen, Market Manager

Tel: 515-520-0702

Email: amesfarmersmarket@ameschamber.com

Contact