Livingston Buy Local

Editor’s Note: This blog post was written by Haley Post, a student at Park High who is interning with Livingston Buy Local. She will continue to be a contributor to the Livingston Buy Local blog throughout the summer.

By Haley Post

As members of a small town, Livingston residents are always looking for ways to promote community interaction, involvement, and support. The Livingston Farmers’ Market incorporates all of these functions into one community event — one as important to our local businesses as it is fun to be a part of. While we enjoy visiting the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday nights during the summer, it’s important to remember the hard work put into making the event a reality, as well as the importance of buying local in our community.

The Livingston Farmers’ Market was founded by our local Big Brothers Big Sisters (http://www NULL.bbbsparkcounty NULL.org/) organization until it was taken over by the Western Sustainability Exchange (http://www NULL.westernsustainabilityexchange NULL.org/) 10 years ago. One year after the WSE began to run the event, it was moved from the Rotary Park to the band shell in Sacajawea Park, where it began to grow. The next year, its current organizer, Rob Bankston, began to volunteer.

“Since then, the Market was brought from a high of 32 vendors on one day to last year’s record of 90 vendors,” says Annie Conley, the director at the WSE who helps Rob and organizes volunteers. “And this year we are expecting to top that record.”

Annie explains that the WSE supports community events that promote sustainability, environmental awareness, and community involvement — all of which are fulfilled by the Farmers’ Market. She also emphasized the importance of volunteers in organizing the event. The organization and planning required to make this possible is hard work, but thanks to Annie, Rob, and all those who help, it is a reality.

Especially in today’s difficult economic times, our local businesses greatly rely on the community for support. Unfortunately, the economy has had an effect on the Farmers’ Market, influencing participation and sales. However, many local business owners, such as Tiffany Marxer, have used the Farmers’ Market as a way to promote their businesses through these difficult times.

Marxer helps her sister-in-law, who runs a company called Reclaim MT (http://www NULL.reclaimmt NULL.com/) that serves as a recycle and pickup business in our area. Since becoming a vendor at the Farmers’ Market three years ago, her business has flourished, providing Reclaim MT with many jobs.

Not only does the market provide a great opportunity for local businesses, it also “promotes a sense of community, brings people together, and is a great place to buy and sell local and handmade products,” Marxer said.

A function of the Farmers’ Market that is especially important to the small, historic town of Livingston is the sense of tradition it establishes. Over the past decade, community members have watched the event grow and thrive. Throughout the changes in local support, businesses, and participants over the years, many of its functions have stayed the same. Community involvement, interaction, and support are still the basis of the market today, and they are as strong as ever.

Elizabeth and Victoria Valeriano, ages 12 and 10, are currently active vendors at the event, selling fresh herbs and their own homemade ciabatta bread.

“It’s great to have the girls involved in selling their products so early on,” says their mother Kara Lee, who has been a vendor herself for many years, selling homemade soy candles and holistic products. “I no longer make products to sell at the market, but it is wonderful for them to be able to develop business experience in a community event at this point.”

Elizabeth and Victoria’s business is an excellent example of the tradition of the Farmers’ Market being passed down to the next generation.

Visiting the Farmers’ Market is a great way to show support for our community. Getting involved — be it through organizing, selling at, or attending the event — is a fun way to promote our local businesses and interact with the community. So this Wednesday, be sure to stop by and experience the homemade products, fresh foods, and great people that make our town the Livingston we take pride in, and watch as the tradition grows.