A Growing Opportunity

Photos by Darrin Phegley

Growing up in Niagara, Addie Jackson found herself surrounded by fields. Whether farmers were growing corn, tobacco or soybeans, it was part of where she was from. After Addie graduated from Henderson County High School in 2022 and went on to attend Henderson Community College, she wanted to study a field she thought would be enjoyable and one that would provide job security. “My grandpa baled hay and had pigs and cows—not produce farming but meat farming. I have always been around it but not directly in it. It was a safe option, and I also enjoy it,” expressed Addie. She also assists her dad in their garden at home.

The Perfect Opportunity

The 19-year-old will be entering her last semester this fall to obtain her associates degree at Henderson Community College. She will then transfer to Murray State University in January 2024 where she will be majoring in Agronomy. Addie explained how there is a lot she will do as an agronomist such as checking soil quality, determining what fertilizer to use on fields, etc. 

“I needed an internship to get my associates, and I had searched literally high and low. Then the Farmers Market position was posted. I thought that sounds fun, and that sounds like a way to meet a lot of people. I meet a new person everyday. It felt like I was getting more into the ag career world rather than just something at home. The internship has been helpful learning stuff about crops I don’t know as much about. It’s helpful knowledge,” said the grateful college intern. Addie would like to stay within the tri-state area once she graduates. However, it’s important to have a knowledge about a variety of produce in case she were to work for a company who travels to places where other crops are grown that we don’t have here. 

The Internship

Addie began her internship at the Henderson Farmers Market the first week of June and will work through the first week of August. She works approximately 15 hours a week for the 10-week internship, and she has already learned so much. 

It has been eye opening to see how much work it takes for the local farmers and vendors in preparation of each market day, but being part of it all has been a wonderful experience for her. “I enjoy all the vendors. We get along great. They are all nice people. I enjoy that and the customers. The interaction and meeting new people all the time.”

Another area Addie is learning more about are the challenges local farmers face. Although rain is a challenge everyone would be able to guess, Addie explained that you quickly find out that even if the farmers are watering, it isn’t enough of a solution. They will use drip water to provide their produce with water when our area hasn’t seen enough rain, yet it makes for a very challenging time. 

Addie has also noticed customers tend to come knowing what they want to buy. If there is a new crop a vendor is trying to sell, sometimes individuals won’t be willing to try something new if they don’t know what it is. Farmers will grow a crop, and it may not be as popular as they had hoped when it comes to selling it. 

Something else Addie has observed while interning is never knowing what the crowd is going to be like. She said, “Sometimes you will sell out of half your stuff by 10am but then on Fridays when it’s usually really busy you may have 15 zucchini left. You never know what the turnout is going to be, so trying to decide how much to bring without having a ton of extra is hard.”

Addie has been a big help to the vendors this past summer. Some of her responsibilities have included gathering customer survey reviews where she compiles data of how often customers come, what they usually buy, if they would return, etc. She has completed a customer statistic— counting how many customers have come through, the most popular market day, and age groups. To their surprise, a Tuesday was more popular one week than a Friday. She will also help cleanup produce leafs on market days, unlock the main gate, storage rooms and bathrooms, manage social media and do weekly market prices for the different produce. 

On Tuesdays, there are typically only 3 vendors so she doesn’t set up a table. However, on Fridays and Saturdays, she sets up a table with the surveys, coloring books for kids, and is there to answer any questions customers may have. She also makes her way up and down the market assisting vendors. 

Sponsorships! 

Amy Cates, Owner of Cates Farm, said the Henderson Farmers Market has been looking for extra support for some time now. Originally, their goal was to find a Market Manager to be with them throughout the entire season. However, due to the timing of sponsorships coming in and the hiring process, they decided to offer an internship instead. 

Amy said, “There are a lot of students who need internships to fulfill a requirement in college, or students thinking about agricultural related fields but haven’t had any experience in local food systems. We thought this would be a perfect way for us to provide that opportunity to work with a local student.” They sent the internship posting to Henderson Community College, Murray State University and University of Kentucky. The majority of interest was local because they unfortunately cannot provide housing. The local farmer said, “We wanted to connect to the community more.” Addie’s presence at the market has been wonderful for them in achieving this by doing community surveys to learn more about their customer base. They will also be offering their 2nd Annual Family Fun Day. Addie has been helping to get them organized and detailed, and it’s been so nice to have someone who is there consistently. It was important for them to have someone who was able to engage with others and be a positive presence to all of those who visit the local market. This opportunity was beneficial to both the Henderson Farmers Market and Addie. They have been helping each other this summer. 

This opportunity would not have been possible without local sponsorship donors. These included Homer’s Barbecue, Hometown Roots and Roast, Henderson Elks Lodge 206, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Windimere Farms, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance: Stephen Boyens Agency, FMC, Syngenta, Sitex Corporation, Happy Hounds Pet Salon and Oak Street Health.  

“We wanted someone who was interested in agriculture. She is getting the experience and foot in the door. She can take a set of skills with her. She is familiar with farmers markets and what it takes to start one,” stated Amy. “This is getting younger generations involved and younger people interested in buying local produce.” The Henderson Farmers Market would like to thank everyone who supported them and allowed them to offer such a great internship opportunity to a local student this summer and hopefully more to follow. 

The Henderson Farmers Market is open Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8am – 12pm.