All-Locally Sourced Farm Store to Open in Jonesborough,
by Karen Childress, Director of Jonesborough Locally Grown
Boone Street Market is a year-round retail store that is being developed by Jonesborough Locally Grown, the non-profit organization that runs the Jonesborough Farmers Market. An extension of the farmers market, the store will stock food items grown or produced within 100 miles of Jonesborough.
In addition to display space for products, the store will offer baked goods and coffee in a small café area, with additional seating outside. The store has a small commercial kitchen that can be used to serve the café area, and enable producers to make value-added products to sell in the store.
Jonesborough Locally Grown will operate the store as a non-profit, retaining only enough fees from producers to cover operating costs. The store has hired a full-time manager and will have a part-time assistant manager along with other volunteer staff. If you are interested in volunteering with the store in any capacity, please contact Veronica Limeberry at veronica@arcd.org.
Planning for Boone Street Market began nearly 2 years ago, and has the project has received major support from the Town of Jonesborough, the Washington County Commisssion, Tennessee Departent of Agriculure, and USDA Rural Development. Forty different individual, corporate and civic club donations have also raised $80,000 for physical renovations to the store building, a former gas station.
What is needed now are more local products to stock the shelves! Growers should please get in touch with the new store manager, Matt Dobson, at boonestmarket@gmail.com or 423-433-9027
Boone Street Market is also supported by memberships. Customer and producer members pay a $50 annual fee, which entitles them to sell at the store and to receive a 5% discount on all purchases. Membership is not required to shop at Boone Street Market, but it can pay for itself, and it provides a critical mechanism to balance cash flow for operations. Advance memberships are especially important now—they make great gifts and can be purchased online or at the Saturday market. Pre-opening special: Memberships purchased before Oct 1 are just $45! For membership information, please follow this link.
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