Fair Grove Farmers’ Market

Successful farmers’ markets don’t just happen in the larger metropolitan areas on Saturdays, but they are also nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks. Fair Grove, MO, just 15 miles north of a major metro area-Springfield, has a small but mighty farmers’ market each Wednesday. Fair Grove’s Famrers’ Market won the Second Place Award in the Farmers’ Market of the Year, sponsored by AgriMissouri™ and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association.

Peggy Schletty, who organized the market just a few years ago, wears many (straw) hats to make the farmers’ market a success. Schletty is a community volunteer for the Fair Grove Chamber of Commerce, and she is the Market Master, Director, Advertising Executive, Promotional Director, Secretary and Treasurer of the Market. So, why do Peggy’s many hats make for a strong farmers’ market? It’s the commitment that the farmers and the community make to each other.

The Fair Grove Farmers’ Market is located under a pavilion at the Historic Wommack Mill in downtown Fair Grove. With a population of 1,100 and over 35 farmers/vendors participating throughout the season, the market is the community hub on Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. – dusk.

The Market has become a great place for community groups to raise funds for their cause. The Market setting is unique in that it has a certified kitchen on the grounds, allowing the Market to offer prepared foods. In 2004, from opening week until school started, the Quarterback Club Café was run at the Market by the Quarterback Club, a booster club for school athletics. After school began, the Band Boosters served food at the Market Café to raise money for the marching band to go to the Cotton Bowl. The Café vendors use as many products from the farmers’ market as possible.

Does a Louisiana Crawfish Boil happen anywhere other than Louisiana? It does in Fair Grove! Three-hundred pounds of crawfish were cooked up and served to customers. With live bluegrass music playing, the FFA served Cajun Red Hots (hot boiled potatoes), and there were crawfish races for kids and a crawfish eating contest for adults. Other community groups involved in this event were the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the Strafford Senior Citizens Center and the United Methodist Women’s Group.

An interesting service that the farmers’ market provided was voter registration. The Market is near four counties, so this gave citizens an opportunity to visit the market and not have to drive to their county court house.

Maybe it was the Louisiana Crawfish Boil or the Kid’s Farm Camp or another special event that brings the community to the market or perhaps it is the friendly farmers with great products including fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, meat, sheep cheese, smudge (sheep milk fudge), eggs, soaps, decorative gourds and bird houses and baked goods. Either way, all of these key ingredients have added to the successful recipe of the Fair Grove Farmers’ Market.

Hats off to Peggy Schletty and the Fair Grove Farmers’ Market, for being named the Second Place Farmers’ Market of the Year!