Shannon Muller & Isabelle Griffith, Guest Writers~
The Lynchburg Community Market has played a large role in Lynchburg’s development.
The market has provided the community with access to fresh, farm-grown food and handmade products from local businesses since 1783.
Jennifer C. Kennedy, the market manager for the City of Lynchburg, said, “the roots of our community started around Lynchburg Community Market, so we really pride ourselves on the fact that we are tied to the community, a tie in the community and are a place where people really look to tell the story of the community.”
The Lynchburg Community Market provides the buyer with a more personal experience and creates a direct relationship between the vendors and customers.
“You have the world at your fingertips, you could order anything that you want on a phone from anywhere in the world, but what you can get here that you could never get from that is the relationship,” stated Kennedy.
The market prides itself on the job it plays in the Lynchburg community.
“With the current economy, people really care where they put that dollar, and if they can put that dollar into a local business it’ll be turned right back around and invested into the local community,” explained Kennedy.
The Lynchburg Community Market has helped to expand some of the small businesses that have started there. Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats began at the Lynchburg Community Market and is now a successful business in the Lynchburg area.
Dwayne and Jannett Spearman, owners of Spearman Artisanry, have been vendors at the Lynchburg Community Market since 2013. “The market serves as an incubator for new businesses in the area; it’s been very successful,” D. Spearman proclaimed.
The market also plays a historical role in the community. Another vendor, Denise Ehlers, owner of Deniece’s Stained Glass Design, has been selling her work at the market since 2011. Ehlers explained, “There is a lot of tourism here, there is a lot of people from out of town that come here. This is one of the oldest farmers markets, and it has been in this building since the ‘30s.” Ehlers demonstrates the long standing history and continued success of the Farmers Market in Lynchburg’s businesses and overall economic growth.
The Lynchburg Community Market “is a snapshot of what Lynchburg is all about,” said Kennedy.
