By Tai Crowell, Samantha Daggett, Bailey Kestell & William Soquet
Fall has a lot to offer the city of Green Bay. The city has many wonderful autumnal traditions, from walking through the beautiful colors of the trees in the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay arboretum to the sea of fans that flood Lambeau Field to support the Green Bay Packers. One fall tradition that has stood the test of time is the Saturday morning farmer’s market.
With over 100 vendors selling a variety of fresh vegetables, meats, and cheeses, prepared and packaged goods, handmade creations, flowers and plants, and other items, the market recently completed its 107th season. The farmer’s market is a community event held on Washington Street in the city’s downtown between Stuart Street and Walnut Street. While its busiest days are during late spring and throughout summer, a fall visit has unique treats in the colorful produce, delicious dishes, warm drinks, and handmade crafts that the market can offer.
Many vendors experience a decrease in sales during fall due to mornings that can range from slightly chilly to downright frigid, but those who do brave the weather find a more intimate scene and vendors who will have more time for friendly chats. Some vendors have been selling their wares at the farmer’s market for more than 40 years and have developed deep bonds with the community. Many vendors are also first-generation and second-generation Americans, creating a welcoming and culturally diverse atmosphere.
Another point of pride for the market is that a vast majority of the businesses there are local to the Green Bay community and surrounding areas. This gets small businesses exposure to thousands of potential customers each week while being able to sell their products in an open market. This also allows small businesses to communicate with customers face-to-face in a way that may not be possible in an online setting or even a traditional brick-and-mortar setting. The market was also a great way for small businesses to continue connecting with the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. When conventional avenues of selling were closed off, the market emerged as a unique way to not only make revenue but also show appreciation to those customers who remained loyal to small businesses in the midst of a worldwide catastrophe.
At an information booth in the central area of the market, attendees can obtain a loyalty card and a weekly stamp. Patrons can also enter a monthly drawing to gain a chance to win by turning in their card at the information booth after earning five stamps on it. A lucky winner will be chosen on the final day of every month to receive a farmer’s market t-shirt and a gift card. After a stop there, attendees are all set to explore the many different vendors that populate the farmer’s market.
Minzo’s Kitchen is a food truck and catering business that is a regular at the market. On a seasonably cold October morning, a fresh kettle of booyah was cooking outside the tent, providing a warm context to get to know the owner, Spencer. He noted that the market is one of the best ways to bring in sales because of its familiarity. “There was a time in my life when if you’re going to be in marketing and advertising, you’re going to be in sales. That’s what happens. And one of the smartest things you ever learn in sales is that 90 percent of sales happen in the 5th to the 12th touch, as in the 5th time you talk to them. The days of ‘I’m gonna meet you and sell you in five minutes’ are over. It’s gotta be more relationship building, and it is so much easier to make an impression on someone face to face via phone call, via email, things like that.”
With building community and getting to know the customers becoming ever more important, it’s no surprise that the farmers market is becoming a more attractive option for local businesses to increase sales. With upwards of a thousand people coming to purchase products and food face to face, the market allows vendors to make an impact on the community or, in some cases, for the community of vendors to rally around each other. It’s a common sight to see coffee, food, and other products from vendors around at the tents and booths of other businesses, indicative of a deep bond that runs through the tight-knit community of entrepreneurs in the Green Bay area.
Coffee Wizardz has one of the largest reaches within the market – walk around for any period of time, and the distinctive logo on their cups becomes a familiar sight. Sam Brown and Chris Christen started at the market in 2021 after running an online funding campaign. One of their trademarks is the nitro bike, which is exactly what it sounds like – coffee on wheels. They did well enough at the market in 2021 to open a brick-and-mortar location on Greene Avenue in Allouez, and now, the one in Appleton has just recently been opened. Despite that, the market still plays an integral role in the success of Coffee Wizardz. “There’s more people who aren’t exposed to what we do specifically, so this is a good place to get in front of people that normally don’t see you or seek us out,” said Brown.
In addition to the food and produce, staples of a traditional farmer’s market, there are a variety of other booths and vendors at the farmers market. One of those is Key West Sea Soap. The proprietor of Key West Sea Soap, John, is an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. 2023 marks his 24th year at the market. John said the key to keeping constant business – besides people using the soap and needing more – is to update the product line. He recently introduced goat soap into his lineup and gets his ingredients from “all over the world. We try to get as much as we can from the United States, but not everything is here. I have to get Jasmine from Egypt; that’s the only place I can get quality jasmine oil.” One of the best things about the farmer’s market, according to John, is the amount of regular customers that he sees. He has made “hundreds” of acquaintances throughout his nearly quarter-century of work at the farmer’s market. While the gloomy weather on October 14 put a kibosh on seeing some of his usuals, he still fondly recalled the connections he has made. John also spoke about the differences between the farmer’s market and e-commerce, which has proliferated the independent vendor marketplace. As a previous computer engineer, he did his research on different online sites such as Etsy but ultimately decided to run his own online store. While the online store allows him to expand his audience and sell his products at a higher profit margin, the farmer’s market allows him to get out into the local community and actually chat with the customers. This makes the business less transactional and more personable, a redeeming quality for a retirement job.
RVF Crafts by Kristin is another nontraditional vendor at the market. Kristin is based out of Two Rivers, a little over a half hour from Green Bay. Her enterprise grew out of a crafting hobby that eventually became large enough to expand into selling. The Saturday morning farmer’s market, specifically, is a great place to be, according to Kristin. “We were at a couple of festivals checking out items and comparing, and Green Bay is definitely the better place to sell things,” she said. Now, due to the success that she is having in the market, she is looking to get into online sales and is considering creating a shop on the popular online platform Etsy. In a way, her story mirrors that of Coffee Wizardz – start at the market and expand from there.
Buoyed by the success of the long-running Saturday market, other farmer’s markets now offer Green Bay-area consumers even more choices for local products. Downtown Green Bay, the same organization that promotes and sanctions the Saturday market, also operates a Wednesday night market on Broadway, serving the city’s west side. The advent of the Titletown District has helped this cause as well – the Titletown organization sponsors a Thursday afternoon/evening market that seeks to be more than just a traditional farmer’s market.
Despite the overcast skies, intermittent drizzle, and overall gloomy backdrop, the food, wares, and – most importantly – people at the farmer’s market brought cheer, dedication, and trademark Midwest kindness that remains unmatched.
As the farmer’s market wraps up its 107th year and looks toward its 108th next spring, its vendors diverge. Some will significantly scale back operations in the winter. Some will pivot to an online strategy. Some will head to winter markets, like the Military Avenue Market on the west side of Green Bay. Regardless, they will all look to reconvene in spring with the promise of a new year, new vendors, new sales, and new people. While the market is now done for the year, it will return on May 25, 2024, with a new and returning cast of both vendors and customers.
