Hillsboro Farmers' Market ends on chilly, upbeat note
Chamber officials pleased, volunteer leaders will return again next season
A fast-moving cold front this past Thursday evening brought a wet and miserable conclusion to the Hillsboro Farmers' Market season.
But the soggy ending did not dampen the enthusiasm of local officials, who are pleased with the community's response to an expanded version of the weekly outdoor market, which was held from 5 until 8 p.m. on Thursdays from May through October.
"I don't know if in Hillsboro we've ever had a farmers' market that was up to this one," said Chamber of Commerce director Christy Wulf. "It was a huge improvement. Yes, I would say undoubtedly we will have it again next year."
The volunteer organizers of the market, sisters Sheryl Lehr and Joni Calam, said they will continue to volunteer their time to make the farmers' market a success next year.
"That's our plan at this point," Lehr said.
On summer evenings the farmers' market moved from the vacant lot on the corner to the shady sidewalk on the west side of downtown Main Street, north of Grand Avenue.
If you didn't expect too much of anything, there was always something worth coming out for; although even in the shade it seemed hotter than a firecracker most of the time.
Friends and neighbors turned into vendors, setting up tables for their garden-grown vegetables, homemade baked goods, and hand crafted wares.
Local church groups and non-profits sold food by the plate for fund-raisers, and many came to eat and for fellowship. Oftentimes it seemed as if people came downtown just to enjoy each other's company.
Occasionally, a local musician would play a guitar, and happy children always seemed to be running around.
For many the Thursday night market was a slice of something from another time and place. They came back again and again, perhaps because it tasted like American Pie.
"We tried to incorporate music, food, and crafts," Lehr said. "That was our goal, to get a broader base of people downtown. It got to the point where on Thursday nights people just planned on going there for supper."
Downtown merchants made the event more successful by staying open late on Thursday nights, doing their bit to help, even if they didn't get a lot of customers into their stores.
Before next season, Lehr plans to get produce vendors signed up with the state senior nutrition program, which provides vouchers for low income seniors specifically for buying produce at a farmer's market, she said.
"I'm also hoping to apply for a business enhancement grant for promotional expenses next year," she said.
Her big dream would be to see the vacant lot at Washington and Grand Avenue turned into a downtown city park, for the market and other activities, before it's too late.
"If you look at other towns such as Newton, you can see how much they needed to think about green space in their downtown area," she said.
