June 16, 2014
Dear Minnesota Grown farmers markets,

Each year, the Minnesota Grown Program works hard to celebrate Farmers Market Week (Aug 3rd-9th). This year we have put together a contest for Minnesota Grown farmers markets and the winner will get to host a fun-filled Farmers Market Week Celebration at their market!

What does the winning market receive?

  • During the week of August 3-9 Minnesota Grown will throw a celebration at the winner's regularly scheduled market day!
  • A corn roast - offering a free ear of roasted corn to the first 100 attendees.
  • We will play a food related game. Your market must nominate one person to go against at least one "celebrity" representing Minnesota Grown. The celebrity will be announced shortly after the winning market is chosen. Your market nomination can be anyone, a prominent person in your community, a random audience member, the market manager, your mayor - anyone!
  • Event promotion from Minnesota Grown and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. 
  • Bragging rights that your market is the host site for the 2014 Minnesota Farmers Market Week celebration!
  • More activities and Minnesota Grown prizes will be given away during your market hours and details will be finalized with the winning market.

Excited?! Here's what you have to do:

    1. Promote your farmers market and get people to attend and support you! You'll have to promote your chance to win this celebration from now until the winner is announced! Hopefully you will rev up attendance each week this summer!
    2. Email a photo of your best Minnesota Grown vendor display at your market. These photos will be posted on Minnesota Grown's Facebook page and our fans will vote on their favorite display! Make sure to use a lot of Minnesota Grown promotional items and showcase Minnesota products!
      One photo must be emailed to [email protected] no later than Wednesday, July 2nd.
      The voting will be open Monday, July 7 to Saturday, July 12.
    3. Print out this letter of support and have your customers fill it out! Let kids or adults describe why they come to the market! Drawn pictures of why they love your market are great too!
    4. Talk to your vendors and consumers and come up with one new promotional item for Minnesota Grown farmers markets to use. You don't need to design the item in detail - but give us ideas on what your market could use to promote the market as a whole.
    5. Tell us how many vendors you have, how many of those vendors are Minnesota Grown members and how many different product are available at your market.
        • Remember.... this isn't about having the biggest market - but about having the most Minnesota Grown participation!

Ready, set, go! Key dates for you to know:

  • Start promoting your market now, we mean RIGHT NOW! The sooner you start, the better chance you have of winning!
  • All required material for the application (letters of support, ideas for a new promotional item, number of vendors/products) needs to be received by Friday, July 11th. You will need to mail these items to:
    • Tessa Ganser, Minnesota Grown Program, 625 Robert St N, St Paul, MN 55155
  • The winning market will be chosen and announced on Thursday, July 17th.

 

GOOD LUCK!

Contact the Minnesota Grown team with any questions!