SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded Farmers Market Grants, totaling $89,503. This is the fifth year Compeer Financial has offered these grants.
The grants are supporting 77 farmers market organizations, with funding up to $1,000 for marketing, technology or educational efforts. 39 farmer vendors received grants of up to $500. Since the grant debuted in 2019, these grants have directly impacted 10,173 people and touched the lives of 9 million farmers market visitors.
Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial, says they are seeing trends from grant recipients this year.
“Marketing continues to be the most needed resource for both vendors and markets,” said Schieler. “Vendors are doing more to brand their businesses and build connections with farmers. Market organizations are continually relying on different media channels to reach a broader population of the community.”
Farmers markets are also investing in technology to expand payment options with SNAP benefits through EBT and credit card payments. This year’s markets report that farmer vendors make up 45% of their total vendors. Having a balance of farmers and other vendors helps attract more customers to the market. 2023 farmer grant recipients say that farmers market sales account for more than 50% of their annual sales on average.
“Farmers markets bring fresh, healthy foods directly to communities in an accessible way,” said Schieler. “Many markets have had to make changes through technology, marketing and education in recent years. Through these grants, we hope to recognize the huge asset that farmers markets are to our communities.”
The 77 farmers markets in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving grants include:
Illinois
- 61st Street Farmers Market (Chicago)
- Avon’s Farmers Market
- Batavia Farmers’ Market
- Carthage Farmer’s Market
- Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market
- Downtown Elgin Farmers Market
- Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market
- Downtown Pontiac Farmers Market
- Elmwood Farmers Market
- Farmers Market+ At The Dole (Crystal Lake)
- Galesburg Farmers Market
- Glenwood Sunday Market (Chicago)
- Homewood Farmer Market
- Lanark Farmers Market
- Lisle French Market
- Macomb Farmers Market
- Main Street Farmers Market Downtown Aledo
- Mt. Sterling Farmer’s Market
- Quincy Town Center Farmer’s Market
- Ravinia Farmers Market (Highland Park)
- Riverside Farmers’ Market
- Rockford City Market
- Rockford Midtown Market
- Stephenson County Farmers Market (Freeport)
- Stronghurst Farmers Market
- The Dixon Farmer’s Market
- Uptown Farmers Market (Chicago)
- Wicker Park Farmers Market (Chicago)
Minnesota
- Aitkin Farmers Market
- Audubon Farmers Market (Minneapolis)
- Cambridge Farmers Market
- Cannon Falls Farmers Market at Artisan Plaza
- Cannon Valley Farmers’ Market (Northfield)
- Chisago City Farmers Market
- Cold Spring Farmers Market
- Cuyuna Range Farmers Market (Crosby)
- Eagan Market Fest
- Lake City Market by the Lake
- Lanesboro Farmers Market
- Lewiston Area Farmer’s Market
- Lincoln Park Farmers Market (Duluth)
- Mahtomedi Area Farmers’ Market
- Mankato Farmers Market
- Neighborhood Roots (Kingfield Farmers Market, Minneapolis)
- Red Wing Area Farmers Market Association
- Rice Area Farmers Market
- Richfield Farmers Market
- Richmond Farmers Market
- Riverwalk Market Fair (Northfield)
- Saint Paul Farmers’ Market (Lakeville)
- St. Cloud Area Farmers Market
- The Village Farmers Market (Rochester)
- Wabasha Downtown Farmers Market
Wisconsin
- Beaver Dam Farmers Market
- Boscobel Farmers’ Market
- Burnett County Farmers Market (Siren)
- Columbus – Fall River – Rio Community Family Market
- Downtown Fond du Lac Farmers Market (Whitehall)
- Farmers Garden Market
- Frederic Farmers Market
- Future Neenah Farmers Market
- Greendale Downtown Market
- Hudson Farmers Market @ Plaza 94
- Independence Farmers Market
- Monday Market at the Y (Chippewa Falls)
- New Glarus Farmers Market
- Ontario Farmer’s Market
- Oshkosh Saturday Farmers Market, Inc.
- Osseo Farmers Market
- Paoli Mill Farmer’s Market (Belleville)
- Prairie du Chien Thursday Night Farmers Market
- Richland Area Farmers’ Market (Richland Center)
- Stoughton Community Farmers Market
- TCC Farmers Market (Hartford)
- The Farmers Market at Town Square (Green Lake)
- Viroqua Farmers Market
- Westside Community Market (Madison)
The grants will be offered again next year. Starting in 2024, market organizations will be eligible for the grant every other year. Farmer vendors who are clients of Compeer will continue to be eligible every year, with priority given to those who have not previously received the grant. Learn more at compeer.com/giving-back.
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $29.7 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial’s scholarship program.
— Compeer Financial
