After a move to Red Square and the addition of several new vendors, the Georgetown University Farmer’s Market concluded a successful season last week. Vendors and student leaders praised the changes, citing greater participation and student engagement.
“It’s been a big year for the Farmer’s Market, as we’re reaching full capacity,” said Lexi Cotcamp (MSB ‘15), the GUFM executive director, referring to the amount of determined available space in Red Square. “We’ve been able to offer a variety of vendors, with everything from crepes to apples to kombucha,” she said, calling it “an incredible semester” based on vendors’ transaction numbers, which are used to loosely track performance.
Savannah Quental (MSB ‘15), GUFM’s marketing director, said that the relocation to Red Square fostered a greater sense of community around the market this season, as did increased social media presence.“ Red Square has a community feel, and it’s more visible [than Copley Lawn]” she said. “The vendors feel like they’re in the same places every week.”
“On Instagram, I’m cognizant of reposting vendors, and a lot of them actually use it to promote what they’re selling each week,” Quental said. The market’s reach, though difficult to measure, also seemed wider to her this year. “I heard more people talking about it, saw more people in Red Square and outside of the Farmer’s Market with Farmer’s Market stuff,” she added.
Several vendors also reported an overall successful season, despite the unique customer base at Georgetown compared to other markets. First-year vendor Dave Burton, founder of Capital Candy Jar, who also sells his products at two other D.C. markets, described his experience of adapting to his customers at Georgetown.
“Each [market has] sort of got a different personality, and because of the different personality, different things sell at each market, but it’s fun to learn what those different markets are going to be like,” he said. “Pricing is pretty consistent across all the markets, but I do change a little bit what I’m bringing.” Burton noted that the Capital Candy Jar’s top-selling item at Georgetown was its $5 custom-made s’mores.
Nathaniel Port of Grandma Vera’s Bakery, another first-year vendor, echoed Burton’s sentiment. “There’s a soup I sell at some other markets, but for some reason, students weren’t interested in,” he said. “But it’s my best market for churros. I couldn’t bring enough churros.”
According to Ashwini Persaud, founder of vegan and vegetarian made-to-order meal vendor Sexy Vegie, accommodating the Georgetown market’s timing was initially a challenge. “We didn’t have to change our menu, but it took a little while getting used to the fact that the students were in between classes so they didn’t have much time to wait on food, versus our other market patrons that are on their lunch break with 30 to 60 minutes to grab lunch,” wrote Persaud in an email to the Voice.
The ability to adapt to Georgetown’s “different personality” as identified by Burton and Persaud is something that the farmer’s market board looks for in vendors, according to Cotcamp. “We research vendors to find those that fit Georgetown’s niche market, and make sure that they’re appealing to student needs and accommodating their products to the anatomy of students’ days,” she said.
Georgetown’s vendors undergo an application process similar to many of the city’s other farmer’s markets. Prospective vendors are asked to detail their products, sources, and provide proof of a general insurance liability policy. If accepted, vendors pay $250 for each season, which lasts approximately eight weeks, as well as $20 per week for on-campus parking. Many of GUFM’s vendors also regularly attend the Capital Harvest on the Plaza farmer’s market at the Ronald Reagan Building, which charges $50 per week for their 21-week season, and has similar requirements for sources and coverage.
According to the GUFM application, the board prioritizes offering a variety of vendors and requires that vendors “sell what they grow, raise or produce on their own farm or facility,” and that “all farmers and producers are required to be from the Chesapeake Bay watershed region.”
Luisa Santos (COL ‘14), founder of Lulu’s Ice Cream, and Burton both appreciate the opportunities for collaboration that the GUFM provides, as vendors have created products using combinations of each other’s ingredients, such as Cervantes Coffee used in Lulu’s Ice Cream, and Capital Candy Jar’s marshmallows in Rita’s Crepes’ recipes.
Quental is looking forward to the market’s reopening in the spring, with continued growth. “Juice is the word,” she said, noting that several vendors have expressed interest in selling at the market next semester. “It’s great seeing so many students engaged in local food and responsible consumption.”
Photo by the Voice
