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Forest Park Farmers' Market- Save It Before Its Gone!

The Forest Park Farmers' Market, which takes place Friday afternoons 3:30 to 7:30 in "The Grove" picnic area (7824 Madison Street) is in its 3rd year and offers a great line-up of vendors this year.  Many people may not even know Forest Park has a Farmers' Market, and that's part of the problem.  I am a Forest Park resident and also a vendor at the Forest Park Market, although my support for the market extends far beyond my own involvement.  When this iteration of the market started three years ago, I was so happy!  I love Farmers' Markets in general and think every community should have one.  I also saw the existence of the Farmers' Market as a indication that Forest Park is the kind of community I like to live in.  I know many Forest Parkers share this enthusiasm for the market.  However, I fear that the future Forest Park Farmers' Market is in danger.  To put it simply, while many people support the market in theory, there is a lack of people who actually visit and buy things there.  The market needs a great deal more support if it stands a chance of existing beyond this year.  The Village of Forest Park has done a great job putting the market together this year.  The vendor line-up is great (several fresh veggie vendors, cheese, bread, desserts, soap, meat, honey and maple syrup) and there's weekly musical entertainment and always bargain priced gourmet grilled food fare sold to benefit the Forest Park Food Pantry.   All we need is the community support and customers to make it worth everyone's while.  As a vendor, I love growing veggies and selling at the market, despite the heat and other less-than-perfect circumstances, and I certainly don't do it to get rich.  Likewise,  the Village of Forest Park has put a ton of effort and a bit of money into the market because they want residents to have this amenity.  But, if the number of shoppers doesn't increase soon, all those involved in the market will have to admit that maybe it isn't worth all our effort.  This letter is a plea for anyone who supports the market in theory, who gets a happy feeling knowing that we have a market, who may have been intending to make it out to the market but hasn't found the chance to yet, this is a plea to all of you to come visit us, buy some of our great products, and show the Village that this market really is something the community wants and supports.  I know I've seen some of my favorite Forest Park businesses put up their "store closing" signs and I've thought to myself "Oh how sad, if I had known they were struggling I would have made more of an effort to shop there."  This letter is an attempt to give you a chance to support the market before the "closing" sign is hung.