Partnership and Community Relations

Headline got you, didn’t it?
Well, a funny thing happened here in Seneca County the other night. Our County Legislature (which does not fund our market at all, BTW) passed a referandum that promised members would have available to them and their guests healthy snacks at each meeting.
Now you can be a cynic and say “Don’t they have more important things to do?” OR you can see an opportunity to promote your market.
Get in front of the local legislative body, be it Town, Village or even County Board and ask if they need fresh, healthy snacks for their meetings. Get your vendors to provide a bag or box of goods every once in a while and distribute them in a very public and marketing driven manner so that people will talk.
Now, there is no doubt that some will view this as a small and insignificant element, but if it is on the front page of the Local section of your newspaper, or discussed in the community blogs, you have made your impact!
Also, never underestimate the importence of putting your market out in front of the political “powers that be” at every opportunity. They may not fund your market, but they initiate and support multiple community programs including healthy eating and lifestyle programs that COULD stem from your market.
If they are aware of what you do, and see how dedicated you are to it, your market may benefit from it!