Franklin, Bargersville farmers markets nominated as state’s best

Every week in the summer, fans of fresh food flock to local farmers markets.

They pick up homegrown vegetables, locally raised meat, fresh-cut flowers and so much more. Bargersville residents listen to live music, nibble selections from area food trucks and browse everything from handmade jams to cinnamon-roll cookies. In Franklin, people take yoga or Zumba classes and shop while walking their dogs and visiting with their neighbors.

“It’s that sense of community — all of these vendors who come together. A lot of them are local, and there’s really a great camaraderie among our vendors and volunteers and staff who run our booth,” said Jen Weltich, economic vitality specialist for Discover Downtown Franklin, which organizes the market. “It feels really homespun.”

Those who frequent the Franklin Farmers Market and the Bargersville Farmers Market are quick to point out how special the features are to their communities. Now, local residents can vote to make it official.

The two Johnson County farmers markets are two of 34 up for consideration for Indiana’s Ultimate Farmers Market contest. People have until Aug. 11 to vote for their favorite farmers markets to victory.

“Our farmer’s market is one of our larger events that help connect the community each week. Many of our vendors are from this specific area, so being nominated means our community is being supported and rooted on,” said Whitney Habig, executive director of Bargersville Main Street, which puts on the farmers market. “And that’s exactly what we want to achieve here at Bargersville Main Street.”

Indiana’s Ultimate Farmers Market contest is a program created by Indiana Grown, a state initiative that promotes products that are grown or made by Hoosiers, and the Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice, a group aimed at growing and strengthening Indiana farmers markets.

The idea behind the contest was to give customers across the state a chance to vote for their favorite hometown farmers market to encourage local engagement and statewide recognition.

“The Indiana’s Ultimate Farmers Market allows for communities to support their local farmers market by voting for their favorite,” said Christina Ferroli, Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice program coordinator. “Not only can consumers show support of their favorite farmers market, but by voting, it helps others discover local products.”

Nominations for the best markets were accepted from July 19 to 26, and voting started on July 29. Farmers market fans are allowed one vote per person, per day, and the winning farmers market will be announced on Aug.13.

“One thing is certain, Hoosiers love their farmers markets,” said Caroline Patrick, Indiana Grown program director. “Farmers markets are an integral part of Indiana communities’ economies, and it is great to see consumers supporting them.”

Franklin Farmers Market has been a tradition in the community for the past 13 years. Each Saturday from early June to mid-September, people come out to shop for food and handmade goods from around 75 vendors, while taking part in special activities such as fitness classes or a 5K.

About 1,675 people on average attend the market each week.

“It’s so much fun to see all of the kids coming out and enjoying themselves, folks doing the yoga or the Zumba, and just having a good time,” Weltich said. “Then we hope they’ll go out into our downtown and shop our businesses, maybe get some lunch. It’s just a fun hometown feel.”

For Weltich, being nominated for the state’s best farmers market is proof of the impact their work is having.

“We really just want to bring attention to our market, because we really are an excellent, excellent market,” she said. “We have people coming to our market from all over — from Hamilton County and Carmel and Columbus, and they all comment on how great our market is.”

Bargersville Farmers Market was created in 2018 by Bargersville Main Street. Held on Wednesdays, the market congregates in the town’s downtown with vendors selling fresh produce, freezer meat, goat milk soaps, dog treats and more. Live music and other entertainment is a key part of the weekly events, Habig said.

“Bargersville is a true agricultural small-town. We really try to keep that atmosphere alive with our growing community,” she said. “Little things like greeting the same guest weekly by their first name, sharing vendor’s favorite recipes to the public, or connecting through conversations between the vendors and the shoppers, ultimately make our market feel deeply rooted in character and charm.

“Something just feels right when you pull up and see our iconic silo bins in the backdrop, a true reminder of appreciation for what our farmers, growers and producers do.”

The winner of Indiana’s Ultimate Farmers Market contest will receive a plaque recognizing the achievement presented to the farmers market by Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. The winning farmers market will also be featured on Indiana Grown’s WISH-TV segments on Sept. 14.

Winning would mean bragging rights as Indiana’s best market, Weltich said. But even being nominated helps the Franklin Farmers Market grow.

“It’s just a fun thing for people to get to vote for their hometown market and know that we’re in the market for something so cool,” she said. “It’s a fun thing to get people stoked and remind people to come out to the market and check out why we’re pretty ‘ultimate.’”

AT A GLANCE

Indiana’s Ultimate Farmers Market

What: A contest giving customers across the state a chance to vote for their favorite hometown farmers market to encourage local engagement and statewide recognition.

Who: Created by Indiana Grown and the Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice.

When: Votes are being accepted through Aug. 11.

How to vote: People can cast one vote per day for their favorite market at infmcp.org/discover-more, or by clicking the QR code below.