The New Glasgow Farmers Market is home to more than 130 small businesses and entrepreneurs. These are farmers, food producers, artisans and youth vendors. Many of these businesses rely on the Market as a significant part of their livelihood.
We offer a low cost, low-risk venue for start-ups to test their products. Among other benefits, vendors can enjoy immediate consumer feedback and connect with the community providing a valuable organic experience for those who are getting started.
We need more room to bloom! Currently, we have to rotate vendors or turn vendors down in addition to limiting or all together eliminating customer eating areas in the winter months. This provides financial and logistical barriers to some vendors and inconvenience to our patrons.
Where there is a vibrant community and strong local economic growth is a good place for a business to operate. The New Glasgow Farmers Market attracts over 60,000 visitors each year and those people are passionate about supporting local. Dollars spent with our vendors go right back into our community.
Why We Need a New Building
the lifespan of the dome will come to an end and will need replacing, we need to be proactive rather than reactive
we need more room to comfortably accommodate vendors who wish to attend all year round
more space will allow us the opportunity to provide increased access to local food & goods to our community
COVID-19 has meant a decrease in vendors and an increased need for space
Additional space is needed to accommodate the new online system without impacting the in-person market
continue to provide a comfortable space for the community to gather all-year round
encourage farmers and food producers to invest in year-round production
increased positive impact on community food security, healthy living including mental and physical health through social gathering during winter months
increased community economic impact
MARKET ATTENDANCE
Each day of operation, customer counts are taken throughout
the day
These counts show that the average attendance at the NGFM is
estimated to be more than 1800 visitors every Saturday during the peak season
Since our first expansion in 2015, we have seen more than a
60% increase in traffic
MARKET SALES
Each day the Market is in operation, the vendors are asked to
submit their sales totals from the previous week
This data is collected anonymously but felt to be accurate
It is estimated that
average monthly sales at the NGFM were roughly
$40,000 in 2019 with annual sales estimated at approximately half
a million dollars
THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT
Customers at the New Glasgow Farmers Market spent an average
of $46 per customer in 2019
This gives an estimate of the economic impact of the market
to be more than $3,000,000 annually
INDIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Many of the customers who come to New Glasgow on Saturday to
shop at the NGFM also take advantage of the opportunity to shop at businesses
in the surrounding areas
In addition to visitors from our local community, we also
welcome guests from around the globe who also visit other businesses and
attractions in the area
A 2013 survey of 21 farmers markets in Nova Scotia by FMNS,
estimated that shoppers spend an average of $15.37 at other businesses. By
2019, that number skyrocketed to $41. In that time, we expanded once and have
seen a 62% increase in spending at area businesses and attractions
Using the $41.00 number from 2019 and multiplying this by the
number of average visitors in 2019, gives indirect spending of $2.7M at
surrounding businesses
IMPACT OF THE NEW MARKET
Adding this to the direct impact found above gives us a Total
Economic Impact of = $3,000,000 + $2,700,000 = $5,700,000
With a new facility this number will only grow
The proposed new Market Building will house an approved
kitchen, increased space for vendors, community programming and a small
“general store” retail area to help increase access to local food and help
reduce food waste
We will be able to improve our waste management program by
using reusable dishes in a dedicated space
The Farmers’ Market will increase in size and will be heated.
This will allow increased access for local small businesses. In addition, it
will allow us to not only keep our 60 vendor spaces, but increase them over the
winter months
The new Market building will allow more of our vendors to
participate year-round, leading to better personal financial stability
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
The New Glasgow Farmers Market has always been a starting
point for small businesses.
Some have remained small and still use the Market as their
main selling venue.
Others have used the Market as a stepping-stone towards
creating businesses which are no longer small and now sell their products
outside the Market area.
For these businesses, the Market has played an important role
as a small business incubator.
THE COMMUNITY REACH
Since
it’s humble beginnings, the New Glasgow Farmer’s Market has become a vital part
of community life. It is a Saturday morning ritual for many, offering people a
chance to meet with friends, neighbors and colleagues while supporting local
agriculture, artisans and food vendors.
A
new market building will also allow us to provide the following benefits to our
community:
Food vendors will have greater access to running water and
sinks at their spaces, making it easier to comply with food regulations as set
out by Nova Scotia Environment – Food Safety.
Having a year-round market space will encourage more farmers
in the area to start year-round production, making New Glasgow more food
resilient and making a positive impact on our community food security.
With more spaces available, we will be able to offer more
local entrepreneurs a chance to launch their businesses.
There is a trend towards farms being smaller than in the past
and relying more on direct sales. The Farmers’ Market expansion will allow
small farms to become viable and prosper.
The new building will be a bigger and warmer space to conduct
a market. It will be a market for the community to be proud of and will
continue to attract more and more visitors, allowing the market and the
community to grow together.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Shopping
locally and getting involved in your local community has certainly been in the
spotlight in recent years as environmental issues have come to the fore. The
connection between buying local and going green is easy to see – by connecting
with the things nearby to us, we’re supporting our local environment rather
than looking farther afield for our needs.
Did
you know that in Nova Scotia, the food that you eat travels an average of more than
4,000 kilometers to reach your plate?! In contrast, when you buy at the New Glasgow
Farmers Market, your food travels an average of just 25km to your plate.
By
eating food that is grown closer to home, we are cutting down thousands of food
kilometers and thereby helping to “Take A Bite Out of Climate Change.” The
distance that food travels from where it is grown and processed to where we buy
it has an impact on our environment largely because of the greenhouse gas
emissions involved in the transportation. The more distance which food must
travel, the less fresh it will be, and the more CO2 emissions will be generated.
Because farmers’ markets work on the premise
of local foods, a new Market building will continue to help promote lower our
community’s carbon footprint and help guarantee fresher food. Farmers Markets and
sustainable agriculture are the ultimate green sector of the economy. A new Market
Building will allow us to continue to reduce our impact on the environment at a
community level.
How Can I Donate?
We need $400,000 to reach our goal and every little bit helps!
1) Print and fill out the donation form below and mail Your donation to us
Saturday Mornings
9am until 1pm, year round
Last Saturday for 2023 is December 16
Weeknight Markets for 2023, from 4pm until 8pm:
Wednesday, October 4
Wednesday, November 8
Wednesday, November 22
Wednesday, December 6
Wednesday, December 20