LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Farmers Markets are a popular attraction on weekends in Central Arkansas and they're growing.
Sunday was another busy day at the farmers market in SOMA.
“Bernice Gardens Markets [have] been here for about 10 years,” said Market Manager Stephanie Nichols.
Nichols was once a vendor before becoming the market manager and has gotten to see firsthand just how much the market has grown.
“There were probably about 15 vendors. Everything fit in that pavilion right there,” said Nichols. “The biggest one we've had was about 45 vendors, which was amazing.”
Nichols said the pandemic didn't put a halt to their growth.
“We didn't really see a slowdown,” said Nichols.
That's the case too for farmers markets across the country. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, in 2020 there was a 35% increase in people shopping and 31% of new customers who shopped at farmers markets during the pandemic, continued shopping there five months later.
“I found that during the pandemic, people were really just respectful about continuing, they liked the fact that they can talk to the farmer and know exactly where their food came from,” said Nichols.
Some vendors at the market joined during the pandemic like Susan Opitz who is the owner Dancing Spring Garden.
“Someone found me on a gardening site and invited me to participate right around the pandemic and since then, I’ve been coming here every week,” said Opitz.
In her few years being a vendor, she's also experienced that growth for her own business.
“I think we've not only have we've seen more clients, but we've also expanded the market so there's just a lot more variety people have definitely embraced the market,” said Opitz.
Nichols hopes this trend can continue for the vendors that call this market home every Sunday.
“I want them to be happy, I want them to make as many sales as they possibly can, to be able to put their name out for their company,” said Nichols. “And just to have a great, wonderful market that everybody wants to come.”